US20140316468A1 - Cross connector system - Google Patents
Cross connector system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20140316468A1 US20140316468A1 US14/253,917 US201414253917A US2014316468A1 US 20140316468 A1 US20140316468 A1 US 20140316468A1 US 201414253917 A US201414253917 A US 201414253917A US 2014316468 A1 US2014316468 A1 US 2014316468A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- bore
- bar
- bridge
- expansion ring
- clamp
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 78
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 78
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 78
- 210000000988 bone and bone Anatomy 0.000 claims abstract description 55
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 25
- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 claims description 23
- 210000001519 tissue Anatomy 0.000 abstract description 5
- 210000003484 anatomy Anatomy 0.000 description 17
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 9
- 229910001092 metal group alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 9
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 9
- 238000011068 loading method Methods 0.000 description 8
- 239000000560 biocompatible material Substances 0.000 description 7
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 7
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000001356 surgical procedure Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000007943 implant Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000000399 orthopedic effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000006641 stabilisation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000011105 stabilization Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000011477 surgical intervention Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000013519 translation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008733 trauma Effects 0.000 description 2
- 206010010356 Congenital anomaly Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000000845 cartilage Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000003486 chemical etching Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007850 degeneration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004927 fusion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003041 ligament Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000000314 lubricant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003205 muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 210000002346 musculoskeletal system Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000005457 optimization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001575 pathological effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012858 resilient material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003068 static effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000002435 tendon Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000000451 tissue damage Effects 0.000 description 1
- 231100000827 tissue damage Toxicity 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
- A61B17/56—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B17/58—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor for osteosynthesis, e.g. bone plates, screws, setting implements or the like
- A61B17/68—Internal fixation devices, including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin
- A61B17/70—Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
- A61B17/7049—Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together
- A61B17/7052—Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together of variable angle or length
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
- A61B17/56—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B17/58—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor for osteosynthesis, e.g. bone plates, screws, setting implements or the like
- A61B17/68—Internal fixation devices, including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin
- A61B17/70—Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
- A61B17/7001—Screws or hooks combined with longitudinal elements which do not contact vertebrae
- A61B17/7032—Screws or hooks with U-shaped head or back through which longitudinal rods pass
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
- A61B17/56—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B17/58—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor for osteosynthesis, e.g. bone plates, screws, setting implements or the like
- A61B17/68—Internal fixation devices, including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin
- A61B17/70—Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
- A61B17/7001—Screws or hooks combined with longitudinal elements which do not contact vertebrae
- A61B17/7035—Screws or hooks, wherein a rod-clamping part and a bone-anchoring part can pivot relative to each other
- A61B17/7037—Screws or hooks, wherein a rod-clamping part and a bone-anchoring part can pivot relative to each other wherein pivoting is blocked when the rod is clamped
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
- A61B17/56—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B17/58—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor for osteosynthesis, e.g. bone plates, screws, setting implements or the like
- A61B17/68—Internal fixation devices, including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin
- A61B17/70—Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
- A61B17/7049—Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets
- A61B17/56—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
- A61B17/58—Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor for osteosynthesis, e.g. bone plates, screws, setting implements or the like
- A61B17/68—Internal fixation devices, including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin
- A61B17/70—Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
- A61B17/7049—Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together
- A61B17/705—Connectors, not bearing on the vertebrae, for linking longitudinal elements together for linking adjacent ends of longitudinal elements
Definitions
- the human musculoskeletal system is composed of a variety of tissues including bone, ligaments, cartilage, muscle, and tendons. Tissue damage or deformity stemming from trauma, pathological degeneration, or congenital conditions often necessitates surgical intervention to restore function. Surgical intervention can include any surgical procedure that can restore function to the damaged tissue, which can require the use of one or more orthopedic prosthesis, such as orthopedic nails, screws, implants, etc., to restore function to the damaged tissue.
- one or more implants can be coupled to each of the vertebrae and interconnected via a suitable device.
- implants or anchors can be coupled to each of the vertebrae, and a connecting device, such as a rod, can be coupled to each of the anchors to stabilize or fix the vertebrae relative to each other.
- a connecting device such as a rod
- the present teachings can provide a cross connector for use in a fixation procedure, such as a spinal fixation procedure, which can interconnect multiple anchor and rod assemblies.
- the system can include at least one bridge defining a coupling bore and having a pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to be coupled to a first bone engaging member.
- the system can also include a contoured bar having a first end offset from a second end. The first end of the contoured bar can define a bore having a central axis.
- the system can include an expansion ring received within the bore of the contoured bar, and a locking device received through the expansion ring and the coupling bore for coupling the at least one bridge to the contoured bar.
- the locking device can be operable in a first state in which the contoured bar is movable about the central axis of the bore and in a second state in which the contoured bar is fixed relative to the central axis of the bore so as to fixedly couple the at least one bridge to the contoured bar.
- the system can include at least one bridge defining a throughbore and having a first pair of downwardly extending arms.
- the system can also include a clamp having a coupling bore and a second pair of downwardly extending arms.
- the clamp can be positionable adjacent to the at least one bridge such that the throughbore of the at least one bridge is aligned with the coupling bore of the clamp.
- the clamp is adapted to be coupled to a first bone engaging member.
- the system can also include at least one bar having a first end defining a bore, and an expansion ring received within the bore of the bar.
- the system can include a locking device received through the expansion ring, the throughbore of the at least one bridge and the coupling bore of the clamp for coupling the at least one bridge to the bar.
- the system can include a first bridge defining a first coupling bore and having a first pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to be coupled to a first bone engaging member.
- the system can also include a second bridge defining a second coupling bore and having a second pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to be coupled to a second bone engaging member.
- the system can include a linkage system having a first end defining a first bore having an axis and a second end defining a second bore having an axis.
- the system can also include a first expansion ring received within the first bore of the linkage system, and a second expansion ring received within the second bore of the linkage system.
- the system can include a first locking device received through the first expansion ring and the first coupling bore of the first bridge to couple the first bridge to the first end of the linkage.
- a second locking device can be received through the second expansion ring and the second coupling bore of the second bridge to couple the second bridge to the second end of the linkage.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic environmental illustration of an exemplary cross connector system for use in a spinal fixation procedure according to the present teachings.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the exemplary cross connector system of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the exemplary cross connector system of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary cross connector system of FIG. 1 , taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of another exemplary cross connector system for use in a spinal fixation procedure according to the present teachings.
- FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the exemplary cross connector system of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary cross connector system of FIG. 5 , taken along line 7 - 7 of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 8 is a perspective illustration of yet another exemplary cross connector system for use in a spinal fixation procedure according to the present teachings.
- a cross connector system 10 is shown.
- the cross connector system 10 may be particularly adapted for spinal fixation procedures.
- the cross connector system 10 can be used to interconnect a first spinal fixation system 12 with a second spinal fixation system 14 .
- the cross connector system 10 can provide the first fixation system 12 and second fixation system 14 with additional strength and stability.
- each of the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 can include a one or more bone engaging members 16 , which can be interconnected via an elongated member or connecting rod 18 .
- the bone engaging members 16 can comprise any suitable device, such as a spinal hook or bone anchor, that is capable of coupling to a portion of a vertebrae.
- the connecting rod 18 can comprise any suitable device capable of interconnecting the bone engaging members 16 .
- the first fixation system 12 and second fixation system 14 can be composed of spinal hooks, bone anchors and connecting rods, which are commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind.
- first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 can comprise bone engaging members 16 and connecting rod(s) 18 selected from one or more of the POLARISTM Deformity System, POLARISTM 5.5 or 6.35 Spinal System, or ARRAY® Spinal System, each of which are commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind.
- the bone engaging members 16 can comprise those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/614,734, filed on Nov. 9, 2009 and entitled “Multiplanar Bone Anchor System,” and/or those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/103,069, filed on May 8, 2011 and entitled “Multiplanar Bone Anchor System,” each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- the bone engaging members 16 could also comprise one or more of the bone anchors disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/688,013, filed on Jan. 15, 2010 and/or commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/842,556, filed on Jul. 23, 2010, each entitled “Uniplanar Bone Anchor” and each incorporated herein by reference.
- the bone engaging members 16 and connecting rod(s) 18 can be generally known, the bone engaging members 16 and connecting rod(s) 18 will not be discussed in great detail herein.
- the bone engaging members 16 can each comprise a bone fastener 20 and a saddle 22 .
- the bone engaging members 16 could comprise a saddle with threads that engage the anatomy, spinal hooks, or any other suitable bone engaging device.
- the bone fastener 20 can have a shank 24 at a distal end and a head 26 at a proximal end.
- the shank 24 can be configured to couple the bone engaging member 16 to the anatomy, and the head 26 can couple the bone fastener 20 to the saddle 22 .
- the saddle 22 can be generally U-shaped, and can include a seat 30 and a receiving portion 32 .
- the seat 30 can be configured to receive the head 26 of the bone fastener 20 .
- the seat 30 can be configured to enable or restrict the motion of the bone fastener 20 relative to the saddle 22 , as is generally known.
- the receiving portion 32 can include a pair of upwardly extending arms 34 , 36 , which can cooperate with the seat 30 to define the U-shape.
- the upwardly extending arms 34 , 36 can each have an interior surface 34 a, 36 a and an exterior surface 34 b, 36 b.
- the interior surface 34 a, 36 a can be configured to receive a fastener, such as a plug 38 , which can be used to couple the rod 18 to the bone engaging member 16 .
- each interior surface 34 a, 36 a can define a plurality of threads 40 , which can mate with the plug 38 to couple the connecting rod 18 to the saddle 22 .
- Each exterior surface 34 b, 36 b can include at least one coupling feature 42 for coupling the saddle 22 to a portion of the cross connector system 10 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the at least one coupling feature 42 can include a triangular depression or detent, however, it will be understood that any suitable technique could be employed to couple the saddle 22 to the cross connector system 10 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the connecting rod 18 can be received within the cavity defined by the upwardly extending arms 34 , 36 of the saddle 22 .
- the connecting rod 18 can be coupled to the saddle 22 via a suitable mechanical fastener, such as the plug 38 .
- An exemplary connecting rod 18 and plug 38 can be substantially similar to the connecting rod and plug employed in the PolarisTM 5.5 Spinal System, commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind., or the connecting element disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0077138, filed on Apr. 20, 2007 and incorporated by reference herein.
- the connecting rod 18 and the plug 38 can be generally known, the connecting rod 18 and plug 38 will not be discussed in great detail herein.
- the connecting rod 18 can comprise an elongated solid cylinder.
- the connecting rod 18 can also include a slight curvature, which can correspond to the natural curvature of the spine.
- the connecting rod 18 can be composed of a suitable biocompatible material having sufficient rigidity to fix the vertebral bodies V relative to each other.
- the plug 38 can include threads, which can matingly engage the plurality of threads 40 formed on the upwardly extending arms 34 , 36 of the saddle 22 .
- the cross connector system 10 is generally illustrated and described herein as for use with the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 , which each include bone engaging members 16 and connecting rods 18 , the cross connector system 10 can be used with any combination of bone engaging members 16 and connecting rods 18 employed during a surgical procedure.
- the bone engaging members 16 need not be coupled to adjacent vertebral bodies V, but rather, the bone engaging members 16 can be positioned so as to skip adjacent vertebral bodies V, if desired.
- the cross connector system 10 can be used with any combination of fixation elements, not limited to just those illustrated herein.
- the cross connector system 10 could be employed to connect adjacent fixation plates together.
- the cross connector system 10 can include a first or contoured bar 50 , a second or planar bar 52 , a locking system 54 , a bridge system 56 and a rod clamp system 58 ( FIG. 5 ).
- any combination of the components of the cross connector system 10 can be used to interconnect the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 ( FIG. 1 ).
- the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 can cooperate to form a linkage system, which can span a distance D between the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 .
- the cross connector system 10 can be provided as a kit to enable the surgeon to configure the cross connector system 10 as needed for the particular patient's anatomy and fixation system employed. It should be noted that the distance D illustrated herein is merely exemplary, as the cross connector system 10 could be used to span any desired distance between the first fixation system 12 and second fixation system 14 , which need not be a substantially horizontal distance.
- the contoured bar 50 can be used to at least partially span the distance D between the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 .
- the contoured bar 50 can be composed of any suitable material, and for example, can be composed of a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the contoured bar 50 can include a first or proximal end 60 and a second or distal end 62 .
- the planar bar 52 can have any desired cross-sectional geometry, such as square, circular, oval, triangular, U-shaped, etc.
- the proximal end 60 can be offset from the distal end 62 relative to a longitudinal axis L defined by the contoured bar 50 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the contoured bar 50 can include a contour or slope 64 that transitions the proximal end 60 to the distal end 62 .
- the slope 64 can allow the contoured bar 50 to pass through the patient's anatomy with minimal trauma while still adjusting the distance D as desired.
- the contoured bar 50 is described and illustrated herein as including the slope 64
- the contoured bar 50 could be planar if desired, such that the proximal end 60 lies in the same plane as the distal end 62 .
- the contoured bar 50 could have any desired shape, such as linear or non-linear, and could be curved between the proximal and distal ends 60 , 62 thereof.
- the proximal end 60 can define a bore 66 .
- the bore 66 can receive a portion of the locking system 54 to couple the proximal end 60 of the contoured bar 50 to one of the planar bar 52 , bridge system 56 or rod clamp system 58 .
- the bore 66 can allow the locking system 54 to move relative to the bore 66 .
- the bore 66 can allow the locking system 54 to rotate about a main axis A of the bore 66 and pivot or angulate relative to the axis A when the locking system 54 is in a first state ( FIG. 4 ).
- the bore 66 can have any desired shape, and for example, can be circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc.
- the bore 66 can have an interior surface 68 .
- the interior surface 68 can be configured to correspond to a portion of the locking system 54 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the interior surface 68 can be spherical, however, the interior surface 68 can have any desired profile, such as smooth, spherical, tapered, etc.
- the internal surface 68 can include a maximum angle portion 68 a.
- the maximum angle portion 68 a can comprise a portion of the interior surface 68 of the bore 66 that has a reduced cross-section to enable the locking system 54 to pivot or angulate relative to the axis A to another, greater, maximum angle A1, as illustrated in FIG. 4 .
- the distal end 62 of the contoured bar 50 can define a slot 70 .
- the slot 70 can generally be defined between the distal end 62 and the slope 64 . It should be noted that although the distal end 62 is described and illustrated herein as including the slot 70 , the distal end 62 could also include the bore 66 , if desired.
- the slot 70 can receive a portion of the locking system 54 to couple the distal end 62 of the contoured bar 50 to one of the planar bar 52 , bridge system 56 or rod clamp system 58 .
- the slot 70 can allow the locking system 54 to move or translate, rotate and pivot or angulate relative to the slot 70 when the locking system 54 is in a first state. By allowing the locking system 54 to move linearly or translate within the slot 70 , a length of the cross connector system 10 can be adjusted as needed to fit the distance D between the first fixation system 12 and second fixation system 14 .
- the planar bar 52 can be used with the contoured bar 50 to at least partially span a distance D between the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 .
- the planar bar 52 can be composed of any suitable material, and for example, can be composed of a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the planar bar 52 can include a first or proximal end 80 and a second or distal end 82 . It should be noted that the planar bar 52 can have any desired cross-sectional geometry, such as square, circular, oval, triangular, U-shaped, etc.
- the proximal end 80 can be planar with the distal end 82 .
- the planar bar 52 can define a longitudinal axis L2, and the proximal end 80 and the distal end 82 can be formed along the longitudinal axis L2 ( FIG. 4 ). It should be noted, however, that although the planar bar 52 is described and illustrated herein being planar, the planar bar 52 could include a slope if desired, such that the proximal end 80 is offset from the distal end 82 . Further, the planar bar 52 could have any desired shape, such as linear or non-linear, and could be curved between the proximal and distal ends 80 , 82 thereof.
- the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 could have substantially similar radii such that one of the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 could pass under the other of the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 during translation of the cross connector system 10 , thereby increasing or decreasing the distance D spanned by the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 .
- contoured bars 50 and planar bars 52 could be coupled together to span the distance D.
- contoured bars 50 and planar bars 52 could be coupled together in a zig-zag pattern so as to extend diagonally between various portions of the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 along the length of the spine, if desired.
- the use of a zig-zag pattern can enable the cross connector system 10 to translate as the contoured bars 50 and planar bars 52 angulate relative to each other. For example, as the zig-zag pattern approaches a linear configuration, the distance D spanned by the cross connector system 10 can increase.
- the distance D spanned by the cross connector system 10 can decrease as the zig-zag pattern moves toward a non-linear configuration.
- planar bars 52 could be coupled together in a zig-zag pattern spanning the distance D between the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 to enable translation without requiring the use of the contoured bar 50 .
- contoured bars 50 and planar bars 52 could be coupled between the bone engaging members 16 of the first fixation system 12 or the second fixation system 14 in place of the connecting rod 18 .
- the contoured bars 50 and planar bars 52 could act to connect the bone engaging members 16 without the use of a connecting rod 18 . Therefore, in this example, the bone engaging members 16 could be formed without receiving portions for receipt of the connecting rod 18 . Accordingly, any number of contoured bars 50 and planar bars 52 could be employed in any desired configuration to form the cross connector system 10 within the scope of the present teachings.
- the proximal end 80 and the distal end 82 can each define a bore 84 .
- the bore 84 can receive a portion of the locking system 54 to couple the proximal end 80 and the distal end 82 of planar bar 52 to one of the contoured bar 50 , bridge system 56 or rod clamp system 58 .
- the bore 84 can allow the locking system 54 to move relative to a main axis A of the bore 84 .
- the bore 84 can allow the locking system 54 to rotate about the axis A of the bore 84 and pivot or angulate relative to the axis A when the locking system 54 is in a first state ( FIG. 2 ).
- the bore 84 can have any desired shape, and for example, can be circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc.
- the bore 84 can have an interior surface 86 .
- the interior surface 86 can be configured to correspond to a portion of the locking system 54 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the interior surface 86 can be spherical, however, the interior surface 86 can have any desired profile, such as smooth, spherical, tapered, etc.
- the internal surface 86 can include a maximum angle portion 86 a.
- the maximum angle portion 86 a can comprise a portion of the interior surface 86 of the bore 84 that has a reduced cross-section to enable the locking system 54 to pivot or angulate relative to the axis A to another, greater, maximum angle A1, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 .
- the locking system 54 can couple the cross connector system 10 together.
- the locking system 54 can be received in the bores 66 , 84 and slot 70 to couple the contoured bar 50 to the planar bar 52 , and to also couple one or more of the bridge system 56 and rod clamp system 58 to a respective one of the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 .
- the locking system 54 can include an expansion ring 90 , a first locking device or first fastener 92 , a second locking device or second fastener 94 and a mating rail component 96 .
- the expansion ring 90 can be received in the bores 66 , 84 of the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 .
- the expansion ring 90 can be comprised of any suitable material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the expansion ring 90 can be composed of a resilient material, which enables the expansion ring 90 to expand and contract based upon the movement of the first fastener 92 or second fastener 94 relative to the expansion ring 90 , as will be discussed herein.
- the expansion ring 90 can be generally annular, and can include a first or exterior surface 98 , a second or interior surface 100 and a slot 102 .
- the first or exterior surface 98 can be configured to mate with the interior surface 68 , 86 of each of the bores 66 , 84 so that the expansion ring 90 can rotate about the axis A and pivot or angulate relative to the axis A defined by the bores 66 , 84 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the exterior surface 98 can be substantially spherical to enable the expansion ring 90 to move, rotate and pivot or angulate within the bores 66 , 84 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 .
- the exterior surface 98 is illustrated herein as being spherical, the exterior surface 98 can have any desired shape, such as elliptical, cylindrical or generally polygonal.
- the exterior surface 98 can optionally include at least one maximum angle feature 104 and at least one friction portion 106 .
- the at least one maximum angle feature 104 can be formed along a distalmost or bottom of the exterior surface 98 of the expansion ring 90 .
- the at least one maximum angle feature 104 can cooperate with the interior surface 68 , 86 of the bores 66 , 84 to enable the expansion ring 90 to occupy an at least one second greater maximum angle A2. It should be noted that the at least one maximum angle feature 104 can be optional if desired.
- the at least one maximum angle feature 104 can enable the locking system 54 to move, pivot or angulate relative to the axis A of the bores 66 , 84 to the at least one second maximum angle A2 relative to the axis A.
- the at least one second maximum angle A2 can have an angle greater than or equal to the at least one first maximum angle A1.
- the cross connector system 10 can include both of the maximum angle portion 68 a of the bores 66 , 84 and the at least one maximum angle feature 104 of the expansion ring 90 , or could include one of the maximum angle portion 68 a of the bores 66 , 84 and the at least one maximum angle feature 104 of the expansion ring 90 , or any combination thereof.
- the at least one friction portion 106 can increase the friction between the expansion ring 90 and the bores 66 , 84 .
- the at least one friction portion 106 can comprise any suitable device or technique that can increase the friction between the expansion ring 90 and the bores 66 , 84 .
- the at least one friction portion 106 can comprise a coating, mechanical abrasion, machined feature, interference, or chemical etching formed on the exterior surface 98 of the expansion ring 90 .
- at least one friction portion can be composed on the interior surface 68 , 86 of the bores 66 , 84 . It will be understood, however, that the at least one friction portion 106 can be formed on each of the exterior surface 98 of the expansion ring 90 and the interior surface 68 , 86 of the bores 66 , 84 , if desired.
- the at least one friction portion 106 can comprise any suitable device or technique that can decrease the friction between the expansion ring 90 and the bores 66 , 84 .
- the at least one friction portion 106 can comprise a lubricant coating, a high polished surface, etc., which can decrease the friction between the expansion ring 90 and the bores 66 , 84 , if desired.
- the interior surface 100 can be configured to cooperate with the first fastener 92 and the second fastener 94 .
- the interior surface 100 can be configured to match an exterior surface 108 of the first fastener 92 and second fastener 94 .
- the interior surface 100 can be generally uneven or non-uniform in cross section, such that in at least one location, the cross section of the interior surface 100 is greater than a cross section of the interior surface 100 in another location.
- the interior surface 100 can comprise a tapered portion 100 a, which can transition the interior surface 100 of the expansion ring 90 from a first diameter D1 to a second diameter D2.
- the transition of the interior surface 100 between the first diameter D1 and the second diameter D2 can cooperate with the exterior surface 108 of the first fastener 92 and the second fastener 94 , as will be discussed herein. It should be noted, however, that although the interior surface 100 is illustrated and described herein as having a tapered portion 100 a, the interior surface 100 can have a stepped portion or other features that enable the expansion ring 90 to move from a first state to a second state, as will be discussed herein.
- the slot 102 can be formed through the expansion ring 90 from a first end 90 a to a second end 90 b. It should be noted, however, that the slot 102 need not extend from the first end 90 a to the second end 90 b, but rather, the slot 102 could be formed through only a portion of the expansion ring 90 .
- the slot 102 can enable the expansion ring 90 to move from the first state to the second state. In this regard, in the first state, the expansion ring 90 can be in a relaxed state such that the locking system 54 can be movable relative to the respective one of the contoured bar 50 , planar bar 52 , bridge system 56 and rod clamp system 58 .
- the locking system 54 when the expansion ring 90 is in the first state, the locking system 54 can be in the first state. In the second state, the expansion ring 90 can be expanded so as to prevent the movement of the locking system 54 relative to the respective one of the contoured bar 50 , planar bar 52 , bridge system 56 and rod clamp system 58 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein. Thus, when the expansion ring 90 is in the second state, the locking system 54 can be in the second state.
- the use of the expansion ring 90 is merely exemplary.
- a cam configuration could be employed, in which an oval or elliptically shaped ring is positioned within the expansion ring 90 . Movement of the oval or elliptically shaped inner ring from a first position to a second position within the expansion ring 90 can cause the expansion ring 90 to move from the first state to the second state.
- the expansion ring 90 need not include a slot 102 to enable expansion. Rather, the expansion ring 90 could be formed of a flexible material that allows for expansion, such as a polymeric material. Alternatively, the expansion ring 90 could comprise a coil of material, which could expand during the advancement of the first fastener 92 and second fastener 94 .
- the expansion ring 90 could also have a plurality of partial slots formed about a circumference of the expansion ring 90 to facilitate expansion.
- the shape and configuration of the expansion ring 90 is merely exemplary as any device capable of moving from a first unexpanded condition to a second expanded condition could be employed with the cross connector system 10 .
- the first fastener 92 and the second fastener 94 could be configured to have a cam feature, such that movement of the first fastener 92 and the second fastener 94 from a first position to a second position could cause the locking system 54 to move from the first state to the second state.
- the first fastener 92 can have a head 110 and a shank 112 .
- the first fastener 92 can be composed of any desired biocompatible material, and for example, can be composed of a suitable biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the head 110 can be generally circular, and can include a first or upper portion 114 and a second or lower portion 116 .
- the upper portion 114 can be coupled to the lower portion 116 via a taper T.
- the upper portion 114 can include a driver engagement feature 114 a , which can enable a suitable driver to be coupled to the first fastener 92 to couple the first fastener 92 to a portion of the bridge system 56 , as will be discussed further herein.
- the driver engagement feature 114 a can comprise a recessed socket configured to receive a screwdriver, however, it should be understood that any suitable mechanism or technique can be used to couple the first fastener 92 to the portion of the bridge system 56 .
- the upper portion 114 can have a first cross-section C1, which can be different than a cross-section C2 of the lower portion 116 .
- the first cross-section C1 can be greater than the cross-section C2 of the lower portion 116 .
- the taper T can couple or transition the upper portion 114 into the lower portion 116 .
- the difference in the cross-section C1 and the cross-section C2 can cooperate with the interior surface 100 of the expansion ring 90 such that the movement of the first fastener 92 relative to the expansion ring 90 can transition the expansion ring 90 , and thus, the locking system 54 from the first state to the second state.
- the lower portion 116 can be adjacent to the shank 112 .
- the shank 112 can include a plurality of threads 112 a for coupling the first fastener 92 to a respective one of the bridge system 56 and the rod clamp system 58 .
- the shank 112 is described and illustrated herein as comprising a plurality of threads 112 a, any suitable technique could be used to couple the shank 112 to the bridge system 56 or rod clamp system 58 , such as a press-fit, a plurality of tangs, an interference fit, etc.
- the shank 112 can have a length L1. In one example, the length L1 of the first fastener 92 can be shorter than a length L2 of a shank 118 of the second fastener 94 .
- the length L2 of the shank 118 of the second fastener 94 can be long enough to interconnect the contoured bar 50 with the planar bar 52 via the slot 70 and the mating rail component 96 .
- the second fastener 94 can be composed of a suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. As the second fastener 94 can be similar to the first fastener 92 , only the differences between the second fastener 94 and the first fastener 92 will be discussed in great detail herein, and the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or similar components.
- the second fastener 94 can include the head 110 and the shank 118 .
- the shank 118 can have the length L2, which can be longer than the length L1 of the shank 112 .
- the shank 118 can also include a plurality of threads 118 a for coupling the second fastener 94 to the mating rail component 96 .
- any suitable technique could be used to couple the shank 118 to the mating rail component 96 , such as a press-fit, a plurality of tangs, an interference fit, etc.
- the mating rail component 96 can cooperate with the second fastener 94 and the expansion ring 90 to couple the slot 70 of the contoured bar 50 to the bore 84 of the planar bar 52 .
- the mating rail component 96 can be composed of any suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the mating rail component 96 can be coupled to the shank 118 of the second fastener 94 so that the second fastener 94 can move within the slot 70 while the locking system 54 is in the first state, and can be fixed relative to the slot 70 when the locking system 54 is in the second state.
- the mating rail component 96 can cooperate with the second fastener 94 to enable the contoured bar 50 to move relative to the planar bar 52 while the locking system 54 is in the first state. In the second state, the mating rail component 96 can cooperate with the second fastener 94 to clamp the contoured bar 50 to the planar bar 52 , which can secure or lock the contoured bar 50 to the planar bar 52 .
- the mating rail component 96 can comprise any suitable device for coupling the contoured bar 50 to the planar bar 52 via the second fastener 94 , and in one example, can include a pair of rails 120 and a bore 122 .
- the pair of rails 120 can extend upwardly from a surface 96 a of the mating rail component 96 and can define a generally U-shape for receipt of the distal end 62 of the contoured bar 50 .
- the pair of rails 120 can be spaced apart by a distance about equal to a width of the contoured bar 50 to enable the contoured bar 50 to slide along the surface 96 a of the mating rail component 96 .
- the bore 122 can be formed along a center line of the mating rail component 96 and can extend through the mating rail component 96 .
- the bore 122 can include a plurality of threads 122 a to enable the bore 122 to threadably engage the plurality of threads 118 a formed on the shank 118 of the second fastener 94 .
- the bore 122 can be configured as desired to couple the mating rail component 96 to the second fastener 94 , and thus, the bore 122 could include mating frictional features, a press-fit interface, adhesives, a plurality of tangs, etc.
- the bridge system 56 can couple the bone engaging members 16 to the contoured bar 50 and/or the planar bar 52 .
- the bridge system 56 can include a first bridge system 56 a and a second bridge system 56 b.
- Each of the first bridge system 56 a and the second bridge system 56 b can cooperate with the locking system 54 to couple one of the bone engaging members 16 to a respective one of the contoured bar 50 or planar bar 52 .
- the cross connector system 10 is illustrated herein as including both a first bridge system 56 a and a second bridge system 56 b, the cross connector system 10 could include only first bridge systems 56 a or second bridge systems 56 b, if desired.
- the first bridge system 56 a can include a first bridge 130 .
- the first bridge 130 can be composed out of any suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the first bridge 130 can include a first or upper side 132 , a second or lower side 134 and a bore 136 .
- the upper side 132 can be positioned adjacent to the expansion ring 90 when the first bridge system 56 a is coupled to the locking system 54 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the lower side 134 can include a first arm 138 opposite a second arm 140 .
- first arm 138 and the second arm 140 can be coupled to the lower side 134 via living hinges 142 to enable the first arm 138 and second arm 140 to resiliently engage the bone engaging member 16 , however, the first arm 138 and second arm 140 could be directly coupled to the lower side 134 if desired. If the living hinges 142 are employed, the first arm 138 can be spaced a distance apart from the second arm 140 , which can be smaller than a width of the saddle 22 . This can enable the first bridge 130 to be snap-fit onto the saddle 22 .
- each of the first arm 138 and the second arm 140 can include at least one coupling feature 144 .
- the at least one coupling feature 144 can extend outwardly from an interior surface 138 a, 140 a of the first arm 138 and the second arm 140 and can be configured to engage the at least one coupling feature 42 formed on the arms 34 , 36 of the saddle 22 .
- the first bridge 130 can be snap fit onto the saddle 22 such that the at least one coupling feature 144 of the first arm 138 and the second arm 140 can snap into the detent defined by the at least one coupling feature 42 of the arms 34 , 36 .
- the at least one coupling feature 144 could be formed on the arms 34 , 36 and the at least one coupling feature 42 could be defined on the first arm 138 and the second arm 140 of the first bridge 130 .
- the at least one coupling feature 42 can cooperate with the at least one coupling feature 144 to prevent the separation of the first bridge 130 from the saddle 22 by preventing the upward movement of the first arm 138 and second arm 140 .
- the at least one coupling feature 144 and the at least one coupling feature 42 can cooperate to strengthen the connection between the first bridge 130 and the saddle 22 by creating a tension loading condition through the tightening of the first fastener 92 .
- the bore 136 can be formed through the first bridge 130 from the upper side 132 to the lower side 134 .
- the bore 136 can be configured to threadably engage the plurality of threads 112 a of the shank 112 of the first fastener 92 , and thus, the bore 136 can include a plurality of threads 136 a. It should be noted that the bore 136 need not include the plurality of threads 136 a , but rather can be press-fit, snap fit, etc. to couple the first bridge 130 to the first fastener 92 .
- the first fastener 92 can be threaded into engagement with the first bridge 130 after the first bridge 130 is coupled to the saddle 22 to create the tension loading condition, as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the second bridge system 56 b can include a second bridge 150 and a screw clamp 152 .
- Each of the second bridge 150 and the screw clamp 152 can be composed out of any suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the second bridge 150 can include a first or upper side 154 , a second or lower side 156 and a bore 158 .
- the upper side 154 can be positioned adjacent to the expansion ring 90 when the second bridge system 56 b is coupled to the locking system 54 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the lower side 156 can include a first arm 160 opposite a second arm 162 .
- first arm 160 and second arm 162 can be directly coupled to or integrally formed with the lower side 156 , however, the first arm 160 and the second arm 162 could be coupled to the lower side 156 via living hinges, if desired.
- first arm 160 can be spaced a distance apart from the second arm 162 , which can be greater than a width of the saddle 22 . This can enable the second bridge 150 to be assembled over the screw clamp 152 , such that the screw clamp 152 is substantially surrounded by the second bridge 150 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the bore 158 can be formed through the second bridge 150 from the upper side 154 to the lower side 156 .
- the bore 158 can be configured to position the second bridge 150 about the shank 112 of the first fastener 92 .
- the bore 158 can be unthreaded, but the bore 158 could include a plurality of threads to enable the second bridge 150 to threadably engage the first fastener 92 , if desired. If the bore 158 is unthreaded, the size of the bore 158 can be such that the first fastener 92 can rotate relative to the second bridge 150 to enable the screw clamp 152 to be coupled to the first fastener 92 .
- the screw clamp 152 can cooperate with the second bridge 150 to couple the bone engaging member 16 to the locking system 54 .
- the screw clamp 152 can include a first or upper side 161 , a second or lower side 163 and a bore 165 .
- the upper side 161 can be positioned adjacent to the lower side 163 when the second bridge system 56 b is coupled to the locking system 54 .
- the lower side 163 can include a first arm 166 opposite a second arm 168 .
- the first arm 166 and second arm 168 can be directly coupled to or integrally formed with the lower side 163 , however, the first arm 166 and the second arm 168 could be coupled to the lower side 163 via living hinges, if desired.
- the first arm 166 can be spaced a distance apart from the second arm 168 , which can be greater than a width of the saddle 22 , but less than the distance defined by the second bridge 150 . This can enable the screw clamp 152 to fit about or over the arms 34 , 36 of the saddle 22 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- each of the first arm 166 and the second arm 168 can include at least one coupling feature 169 .
- the at least one coupling feature 169 can extend outwardly from an interior surface 166 a, 168 a of the first arm 166 and the second arm 168 , respectively, and can be configured to engage the at least one coupling feature 42 formed on the arms 34 , 36 of the saddle 22 .
- the screw clamp 152 can be positioned over the saddle 22 such that the at least one coupling feature 169 of the first arm 166 and the second arm 168 can snap into the detent defined by the at least one coupling feature 42 of the arms 34 , 36 .
- the at least one coupling feature 169 could be formed on the arms 34 , 36
- the at least one coupling feature 42 could be formed on the first arm 166 and the second arm 168 .
- the screw clamp 152 can be sized to increase or decrease the amount of tactile feedback provided when the at least one coupling feature 169 engages the at least one coupling feature 42 of the arms 34 , 36 .
- the screw clamp 152 can be sized smaller than the saddle 22 of the bone engaging member 16 so that a tactile snap is observed when the screw clamp 152 is coupled to the saddle 22 .
- the screw clamp 152 can be sized larger than the saddle 22 , so that no tactile snap is observed when the at least one coupling feature 169 engages the at least one coupling feature 42 of the arms 34 , 36 .
- the size and shape of the screw clamp 152 is merely exemplary.
- the at least one coupling feature 42 can cooperate with the at least one coupling feature 169 to prevent the separation of the second bridge system 56 b from the saddle 22 by preventing the upward movement of the first arm 166 and second arm 168 .
- the at least one coupling feature 169 and the at least one coupling feature 42 can cooperate to strengthen the connection between the second bridge system 56 b and the saddle 22 by creating a tension loading condition through the tightening of the first fastener 92 .
- the second bridge 150 can squeeze the screw clamp 152 inward about the saddle 22 of the first fastener 92 .
- the bore 165 can be formed through the screw clamp 152 from the upper side 161 to the lower side 163 , and can be formed to include an annular rim or lip that extends a distance above the upper side 161 and is sized to be received by the bore 158 .
- the bore 165 can be configured to threadably engage the plurality of threads 112 a of the shank 112 of the first fastener 92 , and thus, the bore 165 can include a plurality of threads 165 a. It should be noted that the bore 165 need not include the plurality of threads 165 a, but rather can be press-fit, snap fit, etc. to couple the screw clamp 152 to the first fastener 92 .
- the first fastener 92 can be threaded into engagement with the screw clamp 152 and can cooperate with the second bridge 150 to create the tension loading condition.
- the tension loading condition acts to strengthen the connection between the second bridge system 56 b and the bone engaging member 16 .
- the rod clamp system 58 can be coupled to the contoured bar 50 ( FIG. 8 ) and/or the planar bar 52 ( FIGS. 5 and 8 ) via the locking system 54 .
- the rod clamp system 58 can receive and be coupled to one of the connecting rods 18 , and thus, the rod clamp system 58 operates to couple the connecting rod 18 to the contoured bar 50 and/or planar bar 52 .
- the rod clamp system 58 can be formed of a suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer.
- the rod clamp system 58 can include a rod bell 170 and a rod clamp 172 .
- the rod bell 170 can cooperate with the rod clamp 172 to couple the connecting rod 18 to the rod clamp system 58 . It should be noted that although the rod clamp 172 is described and illustrated herein as including the rod bell 170 , the rod clamp 172 could be employed without the rod bell 170 , if desired. With reference to FIG. 7 , the rod bell 170 can be bowl or bell shaped, and can define a contact portion 174 at a first end 170 a and a bore 176 at a second end 170 b. A cavity 178 can be formed from the first end 170 a to the second end 170 b, which can receive at least a portion of the rod clamp 172 , as will be discussed.
- the contact portion 174 can cooperate with the rod clamp 172 to couple the connecting rod 18 to the rod clamp system 58 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the contact portion 174 can include a generally tapered region that can be configured to contact a portion of the rod clamp 172 , which can in turn cause the rod clamp 172 to compress against the connecting rod 18 .
- the bore 176 can be formed along a center line of the rod bell 170 , which can be substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis L of the rod clamp system 58 ( FIG. 7 ).
- the bore 176 can enable the rod bell 170 to be positioned about the shank 112 of the first fastener 92 .
- the bore 176 is unthreaded and sized to enable the first fastener 92 to rotate relative to the bore 176 , however, the bore 176 could include a plurality of threads, if desired, to enable the rod bell 170 to be threadably coupled to the first fastener 92 .
- the bore 176 may also receive at least a portion of the rod clamp 172 when the first fastener 92 is coupled to the rod clamp 172 as will be discussed herein.
- the cavity 178 can be defined between the contact portion 174 and the bore 176 .
- the cavity 178 can have a diameter greater than a diameter of the bore 176 to enable at least a portion of the rod clamp 172 to be received within the rod bell 170 .
- the connecting rod 18 can have a diameter equal to or less than the diameter of the bore 176 , if desired.
- the rod clamp 172 can be generally V-shaped, and can be substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis L of the rod clamp system 58 ( FIG. 7 ).
- the rod clamp 172 can include a first clamping arm 180 coupled to a second clamping arm 182 via a base portion 184 .
- the first clamping arm 180 and second clamping arm 182 can be coupled to the base portion 184 so as to define a generally V-shaped channel 186 for receipt of the connecting rod 18 .
- the first clamping arm 180 can be substantially a mirror image of the second clamping arm 182 .
- the rod clamp 172 can be configured so as to engage, slide or snap onto the connecting rod 18 prior to the tightening of the rod clamp system 58 , which can enable the rod clamp system 58 to stay in place prior to fixedly coupling the rod clamp system 58 to the connecting rod 18 .
- the rod clamp system 58 need not be fixedly coupled to the connecting rod 18 , if desired. By not fixedly coupling the rod clamp system 58 to the connecting rod 18 , the rod clamp system 58 can move or translate along the connecting rod 18 to assist in preserving motion, for example.
- Each of the first clamping arm 180 and the second clamping arm 182 can include a first end 180 a, 182 a and a second end 180 b, 182 b.
- the first end 180 a, 182 a can include a tapered edge 188 and a concave clamp portion 190 , which can each be formed along the channel 186 .
- the tapered edge 188 can assist in guiding the connecting rod 18 into the channel 186 .
- the concave clamp portion 190 can be configured to bear against a surface of the connecting rod 18 to couple the connecting rod 18 to the rod clamp system 58 .
- the rod clamp 172 can snap onto the connecting rod 18 so that the rod clamp system 58 can stay in place prior to being tightened onto the connecting rod 18 .
- the second end 180 b, 182 b can be coupled to the base portion 184 .
- the base portion 184 can define a threaded bore 192 , which can be formed from the base portion 184 through the second end 180 b, 182 b and can terminate adjacent to or at the concave clamp portion 190 .
- the threaded bore 192 can include a plurality of threads 192 a, which can cooperate or matingly engage the plurality of threads 112 a on the shank 112 of the first fastener 92 .
- the engagement of the first fastener 92 with the threaded bore 192 can draw the first clamping arm 180 and the second clamping arm 182 rearward toward the rod bell 170 , which can compress the rod clamp 172 to clamp the connecting rod 18 to the rod clamp system 58 , as will be discussed in greater detail herein.
- the rod clamp system 58 need not include all of the components described herein.
- a rod clamp system could comprise a single component having a U-shape for receipt of the connecting rod 18 therethrough and threads for mating with the first fastener 92 to couple the single component to the connecting rod 18 and to the cross connector system 10 .
- the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 can be coupled to the anatomy via any suitable technique ( FIG. 1 ).
- any suitable technique FIG. 1
- exemplary systems and methods for the insertion of the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 into the anatomy can include those employed in the PolarisTM 5.5 Spinal System, commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Indiana, or the tools disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0077138, filed on Apr. 20, 2007 and U.S.
- first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 need not include all of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 , but rather, the bone engaging members 16 could comprise a saddle with threads that engages the anatomy, hooks, etc.
- the cross connector system 10 can be assembled to bridge the distance D between the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 to provide additional strength to the construct created by the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 ( FIG. 1 ).
- various components of the cross connector system 10 can be coupled together as needed, in any desired configuration, according to the patient's anatomy.
- the contoured bar 50 can be assembled to the planar bar 52 using the expansion ring 90 , mating rail component 96 and second fastener 94 ( FIGS. 2-4 ).
- the contoured bar 50 can be coupled to the planar bar 52 such that the locking system 54 is in the first state and the contoured bar 50 is movable relative to the planar bar 52 ( FIG. 2 ).
- the contoured bar 50 and planar bar 52 are described and illustrated herein as being coupled together to span the distance D, two contoured bars 50 , two planar bars 52 and combinations thereof could be used to span the distance D. Further, multiple combinations of the first fastener 92 and the second fastener 94 can be used to span the distance D.
- the user can decide how to couple the contoured bar 50 and planar bar 52 to the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 .
- the user can determine whether to use the first bridge system 56 a ( FIG. 3 ), second bridge system 56 b ( FIG. 3 ) and/or the rod clamp system 58 ( FIG. 5 ).
- a first bridge system 56 a and a second bridge system 56 b could be used to couple the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 to the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 ( FIG. 2 ).
- one of the first bridge system 56 a and the second bridge system 56 b can be employed along with a rod clamp system 58 to bridge the distance D ( FIG. 5 ).
- two rod clamp systems 58 can be used to couple the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 to the first fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 ( FIG. 8 ).
- first bridge system 56 a and second bridge system 56 b can be coupled to a respective one of the contoured bar 50 and the planar bar 52 ( FIG. 2 ).
- first bridge 130 can be coupled to the saddle 22 such that the coupling feature(s) 144 engage the coupling feature(s) 42 .
- the first fastener 92 can be inserted through the expansion ring 90 so that the first fastener 92 can threadably engage the threads 136 a of the bore 136 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the first fastener 92 can be at least initially engaged with the bore 136 of the first bridge 130 to enable the first bridge system 56 a to be coupled to the contoured bar 50 while allowing the contoured bar 50 to move about the expansion ring 90 .
- the first bridge system 56 a can be coupled to the contoured bar 50 such that the locking system 54 is in the first state.
- the second bridge system 56 b can be coupled to the planar bar 52 .
- the screw clamp 152 can be coupled to the saddle 22 such that the coupling features 169 of the screw clamp 152 are engaged with the coupling feature 42 of the saddle 22 ( FIGS. 2-4 ).
- the second bridge 150 can be positioned about the screw clamp 152 .
- the first fastener 92 can be inserted through the expansion ring 90 until the first fastener 92 is at least partially threadably engaged with the threads 152 a of the screw clamp 152 .
- the first fastener 92 can be at least partially engaged with the threads 152 a of the screw clamp 152 such that the second bridge system 56 b is coupled to the planar bar 52 , but the locking system 54 is in the first state.
- the planar bar 52 can be movable relative to the second bridge system 56 b to enable the user to position the planar bar 52 as desired within the patient's anatomy ( FIG. 2 ).
- the locking system 54 can be moved from the first state to the second state.
- the first fastener 92 can be rotated further into engagement with the first bridge system 56 a and second bridge system 56 b until the tapered portion T of the first fastener 92 abuts the tapered portion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ).
- the advancement of the first fastener 92 within the bore 136 of the first bridge system 56 a can cause the tension loading condition.
- the advancement of the first fastener 92 within the bore 136 can cause the first fastener 92 to contact and push down on the plug 38 secured within the saddle 22 of the bone engaging member 16 .
- the downward application of force by the first fastener 92 on the plug 38 in combination with the upward application of force caused by the engagement of between the coupling feature(s) 144 and the coupling feature(s) 42 can cause this tension loading condition.
- the contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause the expansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to a second state, thereby frictionally locking the contoured bar 50 relative to the first fastener 92 and the first bridge system 56 a.
- the locking system 54 in the second state can frictionally lock the contoured bar 50 relative to the first bridge system 56 a.
- the locking system 54 is described herein as moving from a first state to a second state, the locking system 54 could be positioned in a middle, third state if desired.
- the middle state the first fastener 92 and/or second fastener 94 can be tightened, but not tightened enough to cause the expansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to the second state.
- the friction between the first fastener 92 and/or second fastener 94 , the expansion ring 90 and the contoured bar 50 and/or planar bar 52 has increased, thereby forming a “friction fit” between the components.
- This “friction fit” can allow the surgeon to manipulate the cross connector system 10 to a desired position and have the cross connector system 10 remain in that position.
- the middle state can enable the surgeon to evaluate the positioning of the cross connector system 10 prior to moving the locking system 54 to the second state.
- the second fastener 94 can be threaded further into engagement with the mating rail component 96 until the tapered portion T of the second fastener 94 abuts the tapered portion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ).
- the contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause the expansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to a second state, thereby frictionally locking the contoured bar 50 relative to planar bar 52 .
- the contoured bar 50 can fixedly coupled to the planar bar 52 .
- the first fastener 92 can be threadably advanced within the bore 165 of the screw clamp 152 .
- the advancement of the first fastener 92 relative to the screw clamp 152 can cause the tension loading condition.
- the advancement of the first fastener 92 can cause contact between the tapered portion T of the first fastener 92 and the tapered portion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ).
- the contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause the expansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to a second state, thereby frictionally locking the planar bar 52 relative to the second bridge system 56 b.
- the locking system 54 in the second state can frictionally lock the contoured bar 50 relative to the second bridge system 56 b.
- the rod clamp 172 can be positioned within the rod bell 170 , and the first fastener 92 can be inserted into the threaded bore 192 to initially couple the rod clamp system 58 to the respective one of the contoured bar 50 and planar bar 52 ( FIG. 6 ).
- the rod clamp system 58 can be coupled to the contoured bar 50 or planar bar 52 such that the contoured bar 50 or planar bar 52 can be movable relative to the rod clamp system 58 ( FIG. 8 ).
- the rod clamp 172 can be positioned on or about the connecting rod 18 such that the concave clamp portions 190 are adjacent to a surface of the connecting rod 18 .
- the first fastener 92 can be threadably advanced within the bore 194 and the rod clamp 172 can be compressed until the concave clamp portions 190 are coupled to the connecting rod 18 ( FIG. 7 ). The further advancement of the first fastener 92 can also cause the tapered portion T of the first fastener 92 to contact the tapered portion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 .
- the contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause the expansion ring 90 to move from the first state to the second state, thereby causing the locking system 54 to move from the first state to the second state.
- the contoured bar 50 or planar bar 52 can be fixedly coupled to the rod clamp system 58 .
- the cross connector system 10 can be available as a kit, which can be used to strengthen a construct formed by two spinal fixation systems. It should be noted, however, that the cross connector system 10 could be provided in various assemblies from which a surgeon could select for the particular patient specific application. The various components of the cross connector system 10 can be customized to fit the particular anatomy and construct created for the patient. In addition, by including the first bridge system 56 a, second bridge system 56 b and rod clamp system 58 the surgeon can decide the best connection point for the cross connector system 10 .
- the cross connector system 10 can be positioned in various different locations within the anatomy to enable optimization of the location of the cross connector system 10 .
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/812,870, filed on Apr. 17, 2013. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
- In general, the human musculoskeletal system is composed of a variety of tissues including bone, ligaments, cartilage, muscle, and tendons. Tissue damage or deformity stemming from trauma, pathological degeneration, or congenital conditions often necessitates surgical intervention to restore function. Surgical intervention can include any surgical procedure that can restore function to the damaged tissue, which can require the use of one or more orthopedic prosthesis, such as orthopedic nails, screws, implants, etc., to restore function to the damaged tissue.
- Generally, in order to stabilize various boney tissue relative to one another, such as vertebrae of the spine, one or more implants can be coupled to each of the vertebrae and interconnected via a suitable device. In one example, implants or anchors can be coupled to each of the vertebrae, and a connecting device, such as a rod, can be coupled to each of the anchors to stabilize or fix the vertebrae relative to each other. In certain instances, it may be desirable to attach multiple anchors to each vertebrae on opposite sides of the spinous process so that multiple rods can be used to stabilize or fix the vertebrae relative to each other. When multiple rods and anchors are employed in a surgical procedure, it may be desirable to provide a cross connector to interconnect the rods or anchors to impart additional stability and strength to the anchor and rod assemblies. The present teachings can provide a cross connector for use in a fixation procedure, such as a spinal fixation procedure, which can interconnect multiple anchor and rod assemblies.
- Provided is a cross connector system for use during a spinal fixation procedure. The system can include at least one bridge defining a coupling bore and having a pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to be coupled to a first bone engaging member. The system can also include a contoured bar having a first end offset from a second end. The first end of the contoured bar can define a bore having a central axis. The system can include an expansion ring received within the bore of the contoured bar, and a locking device received through the expansion ring and the coupling bore for coupling the at least one bridge to the contoured bar. The locking device can be operable in a first state in which the contoured bar is movable about the central axis of the bore and in a second state in which the contoured bar is fixed relative to the central axis of the bore so as to fixedly couple the at least one bridge to the contoured bar.
- Further provided is a cross-connector system for use during a spinal fixation procedure. The system can include at least one bridge defining a throughbore and having a first pair of downwardly extending arms. The system can also include a clamp having a coupling bore and a second pair of downwardly extending arms. The clamp can be positionable adjacent to the at least one bridge such that the throughbore of the at least one bridge is aligned with the coupling bore of the clamp. The clamp is adapted to be coupled to a first bone engaging member. The system can also include at least one bar having a first end defining a bore, and an expansion ring received within the bore of the bar. The system can include a locking device received through the expansion ring, the throughbore of the at least one bridge and the coupling bore of the clamp for coupling the at least one bridge to the bar.
- Also provided is a cross-connector system for use during a spinal fixation procedure. The system can include a first bridge defining a first coupling bore and having a first pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to be coupled to a first bone engaging member. The system can also include a second bridge defining a second coupling bore and having a second pair of downwardly extending arms adapted to be coupled to a second bone engaging member. The system can include a linkage system having a first end defining a first bore having an axis and a second end defining a second bore having an axis. The system can also include a first expansion ring received within the first bore of the linkage system, and a second expansion ring received within the second bore of the linkage system. The system can include a first locking device received through the first expansion ring and the first coupling bore of the first bridge to couple the first bridge to the first end of the linkage. A second locking device can be received through the second expansion ring and the second coupling bore of the second bridge to couple the second bridge to the second end of the linkage.
- Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings.
- The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic environmental illustration of an exemplary cross connector system for use in a spinal fixation procedure according to the present teachings. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the exemplary cross connector system ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the exemplary cross connector system ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary cross connector system ofFIG. 1 , taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of another exemplary cross connector system for use in a spinal fixation procedure according to the present teachings. -
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the exemplary cross connector system ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary cross connector system ofFIG. 5 , taken along line 7-7 ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 8 is a perspective illustration of yet another exemplary cross connector system for use in a spinal fixation procedure according to the present teachings. - The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present teachings, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. Although the following description is related generally to a cross connector system for use in an anatomy to strengthen a construct formed by one or more spinal fixation systems, such as in the case of spinal fusion, static spinal stabilization or dynamic spinal stabilization, it will be understood that the system as described and claimed herein can be used in any appropriate surgical procedure, such as in a minimally invasive orthopedic alignment or fixation procedure. Therefore, it will be understood that the following discussions are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings and claims herein.
- With reference to
FIGS. 1-8 , across connector system 10 is shown. Thecross connector system 10 may be particularly adapted for spinal fixation procedures. Various aspects of the present teachings, however, may have application for other procedures. In certain applications, thecross connector system 10 can be used to interconnect a firstspinal fixation system 12 with a secondspinal fixation system 14. By connecting thefirst fixation system 12 to thesecond fixation system 14 with thecross connector system 10, forces acting on thefirst fixation system 12 can be distributed over thesecond fixation system 14, and vice versa. Thus, thecross connector system 10 can provide thefirst fixation system 12 andsecond fixation system 14 with additional strength and stability. - In one example, as illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , each of thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 can include a one or morebone engaging members 16, which can be interconnected via an elongated member or connectingrod 18. Thebone engaging members 16 can comprise any suitable device, such as a spinal hook or bone anchor, that is capable of coupling to a portion of a vertebrae. The connectingrod 18 can comprise any suitable device capable of interconnecting thebone engaging members 16. For example, thefirst fixation system 12 andsecond fixation system 14 can be composed of spinal hooks, bone anchors and connecting rods, which are commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind. In one example, thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 can comprisebone engaging members 16 and connecting rod(s) 18 selected from one or more of the POLARIS™ Deformity System, POLARIS™ 5.5 or 6.35 Spinal System, or ARRAY® Spinal System, each of which are commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind. - In addition to or in the alternative, the
bone engaging members 16 can comprise those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/614,734, filed on Nov. 9, 2009 and entitled “Multiplanar Bone Anchor System,” and/or those disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/103,069, filed on May 8, 2011 and entitled “Multiplanar Bone Anchor System,” each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Thebone engaging members 16 could also comprise one or more of the bone anchors disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/688,013, filed on Jan. 15, 2010 and/or commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/842,556, filed on Jul. 23, 2010, each entitled “Uniplanar Bone Anchor” and each incorporated herein by reference. - As the
bone engaging members 16 and connecting rod(s) 18 can be generally known, thebone engaging members 16 and connecting rod(s) 18 will not be discussed in great detail herein. Briefly, however, with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3 , thebone engaging members 16 can each comprise abone fastener 20 and asaddle 22. It should be noted, however, that thebone engaging members 16 could comprise a saddle with threads that engage the anatomy, spinal hooks, or any other suitable bone engaging device. Thebone fastener 20 can have a shank 24 at a distal end and a head 26 at a proximal end. The shank 24 can be configured to couple thebone engaging member 16 to the anatomy, and the head 26 can couple thebone fastener 20 to thesaddle 22. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , thesaddle 22 can be generally U-shaped, and can include aseat 30 and a receivingportion 32. Theseat 30 can be configured to receive the head 26 of thebone fastener 20. Generally, theseat 30 can be configured to enable or restrict the motion of thebone fastener 20 relative to thesaddle 22, as is generally known. The receivingportion 32 can include a pair of upwardly extendingarms seat 30 to define the U-shape. The upwardly extendingarms interior surface exterior surface interior surface plug 38, which can be used to couple therod 18 to thebone engaging member 16. Thus, eachinterior surface threads 40, which can mate with theplug 38 to couple the connectingrod 18 to thesaddle 22. Eachexterior surface coupling feature 42 for coupling thesaddle 22 to a portion of the cross connector system 10 (FIG. 4 ). In one example, the at least onecoupling feature 42 can include a triangular depression or detent, however, it will be understood that any suitable technique could be employed to couple thesaddle 22 to thecross connector system 10, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. - With reference to
FIGS. 2 and 3 , the connectingrod 18 can be received within the cavity defined by the upwardly extendingarms saddle 22. The connectingrod 18 can be coupled to thesaddle 22 via a suitable mechanical fastener, such as theplug 38. An exemplary connectingrod 18 and plug 38 can be substantially similar to the connecting rod and plug employed in the Polaris™ 5.5 Spinal System, commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind., or the connecting element disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0077138, filed on Apr. 20, 2007 and incorporated by reference herein. As the connectingrod 18 and theplug 38 can be generally known, the connectingrod 18 and plug 38 will not be discussed in great detail herein. - Briefly, however, the connecting
rod 18 can comprise an elongated solid cylinder. The connectingrod 18 can also include a slight curvature, which can correspond to the natural curvature of the spine. Typically, the connectingrod 18 can be composed of a suitable biocompatible material having sufficient rigidity to fix the vertebral bodies V relative to each other. Theplug 38 can include threads, which can matingly engage the plurality ofthreads 40 formed on the upwardly extendingarms saddle 22. - It should be noted, however, that although the
cross connector system 10 is generally illustrated and described herein as for use with thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14, which each includebone engaging members 16 and connectingrods 18, thecross connector system 10 can be used with any combination ofbone engaging members 16 and connectingrods 18 employed during a surgical procedure. In addition, thebone engaging members 16 need not be coupled to adjacent vertebral bodies V, but rather, thebone engaging members 16 can be positioned so as to skip adjacent vertebral bodies V, if desired. Further, thecross connector system 10 can be used with any combination of fixation elements, not limited to just those illustrated herein. For example, thecross connector system 10 could be employed to connect adjacent fixation plates together. - With reference to
FIGS. 1-4 , thecross connector system 10 can include a first or contouredbar 50, a second orplanar bar 52, alocking system 54, a bridge system 56 and a rod clamp system 58 (FIG. 5 ). As will be discussed, any combination of the components of thecross connector system 10 can be used to interconnect thefirst fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 (FIG. 1 ). For example, the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52 can cooperate to form a linkage system, which can span a distance D between thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14. In effect, thecross connector system 10 can be provided as a kit to enable the surgeon to configure thecross connector system 10 as needed for the particular patient's anatomy and fixation system employed. It should be noted that the distance D illustrated herein is merely exemplary, as thecross connector system 10 could be used to span any desired distance between thefirst fixation system 12 andsecond fixation system 14, which need not be a substantially horizontal distance. - With reference to
FIG. 1 , the contouredbar 50 can be used to at least partially span the distance D between thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14. The contouredbar 50 can be composed of any suitable material, and for example, can be composed of a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. With reference toFIGS. 2-4 , the contouredbar 50 can include a first orproximal end 60 and a second ordistal end 62. It should be noted that theplanar bar 52 can have any desired cross-sectional geometry, such as square, circular, oval, triangular, U-shaped, etc. Generally, theproximal end 60 can be offset from thedistal end 62 relative to a longitudinal axis L defined by the contoured bar 50 (FIG. 4 ). In this regard, the contouredbar 50 can include a contour orslope 64 that transitions theproximal end 60 to thedistal end 62. Theslope 64 can allow the contouredbar 50 to pass through the patient's anatomy with minimal trauma while still adjusting the distance D as desired. It should be noted, however, that although the contouredbar 50 is described and illustrated herein as including theslope 64, the contouredbar 50 could be planar if desired, such that theproximal end 60 lies in the same plane as thedistal end 62. Further, the contouredbar 50 could have any desired shape, such as linear or non-linear, and could be curved between the proximal and distal ends 60, 62 thereof. - With reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , theproximal end 60 can define abore 66. Thebore 66 can receive a portion of thelocking system 54 to couple theproximal end 60 of the contouredbar 50 to one of theplanar bar 52, bridge system 56 orrod clamp system 58. As will be discussed, thebore 66 can allow thelocking system 54 to move relative to thebore 66. For example, thebore 66 can allow thelocking system 54 to rotate about a main axis A of thebore 66 and pivot or angulate relative to the axis A when thelocking system 54 is in a first state (FIG. 4 ). Thebore 66 can have any desired shape, and for example, can be circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc. - With reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , thebore 66 can have aninterior surface 68. Theinterior surface 68 can be configured to correspond to a portion of thelocking system 54, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. In one example, theinterior surface 68 can be spherical, however, theinterior surface 68 can have any desired profile, such as smooth, spherical, tapered, etc. In addition, if desired, theinternal surface 68 can include amaximum angle portion 68 a. Themaximum angle portion 68 a can comprise a portion of theinterior surface 68 of thebore 66 that has a reduced cross-section to enable thelocking system 54 to pivot or angulate relative to the axis A to another, greater, maximum angle A1, as illustrated inFIG. 4 . - The
distal end 62 of the contouredbar 50 can define aslot 70. Theslot 70 can generally be defined between thedistal end 62 and theslope 64. It should be noted that although thedistal end 62 is described and illustrated herein as including theslot 70, thedistal end 62 could also include thebore 66, if desired. Theslot 70 can receive a portion of thelocking system 54 to couple thedistal end 62 of the contouredbar 50 to one of theplanar bar 52, bridge system 56 orrod clamp system 58. As will be discussed, theslot 70 can allow thelocking system 54 to move or translate, rotate and pivot or angulate relative to theslot 70 when thelocking system 54 is in a first state. By allowing thelocking system 54 to move linearly or translate within theslot 70, a length of thecross connector system 10 can be adjusted as needed to fit the distance D between thefirst fixation system 12 andsecond fixation system 14. - With reference to
FIGS. 1-4 , theplanar bar 52 can be used with the contouredbar 50 to at least partially span a distance D between thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14. Theplanar bar 52 can be composed of any suitable material, and for example, can be composed of a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. Theplanar bar 52 can include a first orproximal end 80 and a second ordistal end 82. It should be noted that theplanar bar 52 can have any desired cross-sectional geometry, such as square, circular, oval, triangular, U-shaped, etc. Generally, theproximal end 80 can be planar with thedistal end 82. In other words, theplanar bar 52 can define a longitudinal axis L2, and theproximal end 80 and thedistal end 82 can be formed along the longitudinal axis L2 (FIG. 4 ). It should be noted, however, that although theplanar bar 52 is described and illustrated herein being planar, theplanar bar 52 could include a slope if desired, such that theproximal end 80 is offset from thedistal end 82. Further, theplanar bar 52 could have any desired shape, such as linear or non-linear, and could be curved between the proximal and distal ends 80, 82 thereof. In addition, if curved, the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52 could have substantially similar radii such that one of the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52 could pass under the other of the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52 during translation of thecross connector system 10, thereby increasing or decreasing the distance D spanned by the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52. - In addition, it should be noted that multiple contoured
bars 50 andplanar bars 52 could be coupled together to span the distance D. In this regard, contoured bars 50 andplanar bars 52 could be coupled together in a zig-zag pattern so as to extend diagonally between various portions of thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 along the length of the spine, if desired. The use of a zig-zag pattern can enable thecross connector system 10 to translate as thecontoured bars 50 andplanar bars 52 angulate relative to each other. For example, as the zig-zag pattern approaches a linear configuration, the distance D spanned by thecross connector system 10 can increase. The distance D spanned by thecross connector system 10 can decrease as the zig-zag pattern moves toward a non-linear configuration. In another example,planar bars 52 could be coupled together in a zig-zag pattern spanning the distance D between thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 to enable translation without requiring the use of the contouredbar 50. - Further, one or more of the contoured bars 50 and
planar bars 52 could be coupled between thebone engaging members 16 of thefirst fixation system 12 or thesecond fixation system 14 in place of the connectingrod 18. Thus, in this example, thecontoured bars 50 andplanar bars 52 could act to connect thebone engaging members 16 without the use of a connectingrod 18. Therefore, in this example, thebone engaging members 16 could be formed without receiving portions for receipt of the connectingrod 18. Accordingly, any number of contouredbars 50 andplanar bars 52 could be employed in any desired configuration to form thecross connector system 10 within the scope of the present teachings. - With reference to
FIGS. 2-4 , theproximal end 80 and thedistal end 82 can each define abore 84. Thebore 84 can receive a portion of thelocking system 54 to couple theproximal end 80 and thedistal end 82 ofplanar bar 52 to one of the contouredbar 50, bridge system 56 orrod clamp system 58. As will be discussed, thebore 84 can allow thelocking system 54 to move relative to a main axis A of thebore 84. In this regard, thebore 84 can allow thelocking system 54 to rotate about the axis A of thebore 84 and pivot or angulate relative to the axis A when thelocking system 54 is in a first state (FIG. 2 ). Thebore 84 can have any desired shape, and for example, can be circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , thebore 84 can have aninterior surface 86. Theinterior surface 86 can be configured to correspond to a portion of thelocking system 54, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. In one example, theinterior surface 86 can be spherical, however, theinterior surface 86 can have any desired profile, such as smooth, spherical, tapered, etc. In addition, if desired, theinternal surface 86 can include amaximum angle portion 86 a. Themaximum angle portion 86 a can comprise a portion of theinterior surface 86 of thebore 84 that has a reduced cross-section to enable thelocking system 54 to pivot or angulate relative to the axis A to another, greater, maximum angle A1, as illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 4 . - The locking
system 54 can couple thecross connector system 10 together. In this regard, the lockingsystem 54 can be received in thebores slot 70 to couple the contouredbar 50 to theplanar bar 52, and to also couple one or more of the bridge system 56 androd clamp system 58 to a respective one of the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52. With reference toFIG. 3 , the lockingsystem 54 can include anexpansion ring 90, a first locking device orfirst fastener 92, a second locking device orsecond fastener 94 and amating rail component 96. - With reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , theexpansion ring 90 can be received in thebores bar 50 and theplanar bar 52. Theexpansion ring 90 can be comprised of any suitable material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. In one example, theexpansion ring 90 can be composed of a resilient material, which enables theexpansion ring 90 to expand and contract based upon the movement of thefirst fastener 92 orsecond fastener 94 relative to theexpansion ring 90, as will be discussed herein. Theexpansion ring 90 can be generally annular, and can include a first orexterior surface 98, a second orinterior surface 100 and aslot 102. - The first or
exterior surface 98 can be configured to mate with theinterior surface bores expansion ring 90 can rotate about the axis A and pivot or angulate relative to the axis A defined by thebores 66, 84 (FIG. 4 ). Thus, in one example, theexterior surface 98 can be substantially spherical to enable theexpansion ring 90 to move, rotate and pivot or angulate within thebores FIGS. 2 and 4 . It should be noted that although theexterior surface 98 is illustrated herein as being spherical, theexterior surface 98 can have any desired shape, such as elliptical, cylindrical or generally polygonal. With reference toFIG. 3 , theexterior surface 98 can optionally include at least onemaximum angle feature 104 and at least onefriction portion 106. - The at least one
maximum angle feature 104 can be formed along a distalmost or bottom of theexterior surface 98 of theexpansion ring 90. In one example, the at least onemaximum angle feature 104 can cooperate with theinterior surface bores expansion ring 90 to occupy an at least one second greater maximum angle A2. It should be noted that the at least onemaximum angle feature 104 can be optional if desired. - The at least one
maximum angle feature 104 can enable thelocking system 54 to move, pivot or angulate relative to the axis A of thebores cross connector system 10 can include both of themaximum angle portion 68 a of thebores maximum angle feature 104 of theexpansion ring 90, or could include one of themaximum angle portion 68 a of thebores maximum angle feature 104 of theexpansion ring 90, or any combination thereof. - If utilized, the at least one
friction portion 106 can increase the friction between theexpansion ring 90 and thebores friction portion 106 can comprise any suitable device or technique that can increase the friction between theexpansion ring 90 and thebores friction portion 106 can comprise a coating, mechanical abrasion, machined feature, interference, or chemical etching formed on theexterior surface 98 of theexpansion ring 90. Alternatively, at least one friction portion can be composed on theinterior surface bores friction portion 106 can be formed on each of theexterior surface 98 of theexpansion ring 90 and theinterior surface bores - In addition, although the at least one
friction portion 106 is described herein as increasing friction, the at least onefriction portion 106 can comprise any suitable device or technique that can decrease the friction between theexpansion ring 90 and thebores friction portion 106 can comprise a lubricant coating, a high polished surface, etc., which can decrease the friction between theexpansion ring 90 and thebores - The
interior surface 100 can be configured to cooperate with thefirst fastener 92 and thesecond fastener 94. In this regard, theinterior surface 100 can be configured to match anexterior surface 108 of thefirst fastener 92 andsecond fastener 94. In one example, with reference toFIG. 4 , theinterior surface 100 can be generally uneven or non-uniform in cross section, such that in at least one location, the cross section of theinterior surface 100 is greater than a cross section of theinterior surface 100 in another location. In other words, theinterior surface 100 can comprise a taperedportion 100 a, which can transition theinterior surface 100 of theexpansion ring 90 from a first diameter D1 to a second diameter D2. The transition of theinterior surface 100 between the first diameter D1 and the second diameter D2 can cooperate with theexterior surface 108 of thefirst fastener 92 and thesecond fastener 94, as will be discussed herein. It should be noted, however, that although theinterior surface 100 is illustrated and described herein as having a taperedportion 100 a, theinterior surface 100 can have a stepped portion or other features that enable theexpansion ring 90 to move from a first state to a second state, as will be discussed herein. - The
slot 102 can be formed through theexpansion ring 90 from afirst end 90 a to asecond end 90 b. It should be noted, however, that theslot 102 need not extend from thefirst end 90 a to thesecond end 90 b, but rather, theslot 102 could be formed through only a portion of theexpansion ring 90. Theslot 102 can enable theexpansion ring 90 to move from the first state to the second state. In this regard, in the first state, theexpansion ring 90 can be in a relaxed state such that thelocking system 54 can be movable relative to the respective one of the contouredbar 50,planar bar 52, bridge system 56 androd clamp system 58. Thus, when theexpansion ring 90 is in the first state, the lockingsystem 54 can be in the first state. In the second state, theexpansion ring 90 can be expanded so as to prevent the movement of thelocking system 54 relative to the respective one of the contouredbar 50,planar bar 52, bridge system 56 androd clamp system 58, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. Thus, when theexpansion ring 90 is in the second state, the lockingsystem 54 can be in the second state. - It should be noted that the use of the
expansion ring 90 is merely exemplary. In this regard, a cam configuration could be employed, in which an oval or elliptically shaped ring is positioned within theexpansion ring 90. Movement of the oval or elliptically shaped inner ring from a first position to a second position within theexpansion ring 90 can cause theexpansion ring 90 to move from the first state to the second state. Furthermore, theexpansion ring 90 need not include aslot 102 to enable expansion. Rather, theexpansion ring 90 could be formed of a flexible material that allows for expansion, such as a polymeric material. Alternatively, theexpansion ring 90 could comprise a coil of material, which could expand during the advancement of thefirst fastener 92 andsecond fastener 94. Theexpansion ring 90 could also have a plurality of partial slots formed about a circumference of theexpansion ring 90 to facilitate expansion. Thus, the shape and configuration of theexpansion ring 90 is merely exemplary as any device capable of moving from a first unexpanded condition to a second expanded condition could be employed with thecross connector system 10. Further, thefirst fastener 92 and thesecond fastener 94 could be configured to have a cam feature, such that movement of thefirst fastener 92 and thesecond fastener 94 from a first position to a second position could cause thelocking system 54 to move from the first state to the second state. - With reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , thefirst fastener 92 can have ahead 110 and ashank 112. Thefirst fastener 92 can be composed of any desired biocompatible material, and for example, can be composed of a suitable biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. Thehead 110 can be generally circular, and can include a first orupper portion 114 and a second orlower portion 116. Theupper portion 114 can be coupled to thelower portion 116 via a taper T. Theupper portion 114 can include a driver engagement feature 114 a, which can enable a suitable driver to be coupled to thefirst fastener 92 to couple thefirst fastener 92 to a portion of the bridge system 56, as will be discussed further herein. For example, the driver engagement feature 114 a can comprise a recessed socket configured to receive a screwdriver, however, it should be understood that any suitable mechanism or technique can be used to couple thefirst fastener 92 to the portion of the bridge system 56. - With reference to
FIG. 4 , theupper portion 114 can have a first cross-section C1, which can be different than a cross-section C2 of thelower portion 116. In one example, the first cross-section C1 can be greater than the cross-section C2 of thelower portion 116. In this example, the taper T can couple or transition theupper portion 114 into thelower portion 116. The difference in the cross-section C1 and the cross-section C2 can cooperate with theinterior surface 100 of theexpansion ring 90 such that the movement of thefirst fastener 92 relative to theexpansion ring 90 can transition theexpansion ring 90, and thus, the lockingsystem 54 from the first state to the second state. Thelower portion 116 can be adjacent to theshank 112. - With reference to
FIGS. 3 , theshank 112 can include a plurality ofthreads 112 a for coupling thefirst fastener 92 to a respective one of the bridge system 56 and therod clamp system 58. It should be noted that although theshank 112 is described and illustrated herein as comprising a plurality ofthreads 112 a, any suitable technique could be used to couple theshank 112 to the bridge system 56 orrod clamp system 58, such as a press-fit, a plurality of tangs, an interference fit, etc. With reference toFIG. 4 , theshank 112 can have a length L1. In one example, the length L1 of thefirst fastener 92 can be shorter than a length L2 of ashank 118 of thesecond fastener 94. - In this regard, the length L2 of the
shank 118 of thesecond fastener 94 can be long enough to interconnect the contouredbar 50 with theplanar bar 52 via theslot 70 and themating rail component 96. Thesecond fastener 94 can be composed of a suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. As thesecond fastener 94 can be similar to thefirst fastener 92, only the differences between thesecond fastener 94 and thefirst fastener 92 will be discussed in great detail herein, and the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or similar components. Thesecond fastener 94 can include thehead 110 and theshank 118. - As discussed, the
shank 118 can have the length L2, which can be longer than the length L1 of theshank 112. Theshank 118 can also include a plurality ofthreads 118 a for coupling thesecond fastener 94 to themating rail component 96. It should be noted that although theshank 118 is described and illustrated herein as comprising a plurality ofthreads 118 a, any suitable technique could be used to couple theshank 118 to themating rail component 96, such as a press-fit, a plurality of tangs, an interference fit, etc. - With reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , themating rail component 96 can cooperate with thesecond fastener 94 and theexpansion ring 90 to couple theslot 70 of the contouredbar 50 to thebore 84 of theplanar bar 52. Themating rail component 96 can be composed of any suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. Themating rail component 96 can be coupled to theshank 118 of thesecond fastener 94 so that thesecond fastener 94 can move within theslot 70 while thelocking system 54 is in the first state, and can be fixed relative to theslot 70 when thelocking system 54 is in the second state. Thus, themating rail component 96 can cooperate with thesecond fastener 94 to enable the contouredbar 50 to move relative to theplanar bar 52 while thelocking system 54 is in the first state. In the second state, themating rail component 96 can cooperate with thesecond fastener 94 to clamp the contouredbar 50 to theplanar bar 52, which can secure or lock the contouredbar 50 to theplanar bar 52. - Thus, the
mating rail component 96 can comprise any suitable device for coupling the contouredbar 50 to theplanar bar 52 via thesecond fastener 94, and in one example, can include a pair ofrails 120 and abore 122. The pair ofrails 120 can extend upwardly from asurface 96 a of themating rail component 96 and can define a generally U-shape for receipt of thedistal end 62 of the contouredbar 50. The pair ofrails 120 can be spaced apart by a distance about equal to a width of the contouredbar 50 to enable the contouredbar 50 to slide along thesurface 96 a of themating rail component 96. - The
bore 122 can be formed along a center line of themating rail component 96 and can extend through themating rail component 96. In one example, thebore 122 can include a plurality ofthreads 122 a to enable thebore 122 to threadably engage the plurality ofthreads 118 a formed on theshank 118 of thesecond fastener 94. It should be understood, however, that thebore 122 can be configured as desired to couple themating rail component 96 to thesecond fastener 94, and thus, thebore 122 could include mating frictional features, a press-fit interface, adhesives, a plurality of tangs, etc. - With reference to
FIGS. 2-4 , the bridge system 56 can couple thebone engaging members 16 to the contouredbar 50 and/or theplanar bar 52. The bridge system 56 can include afirst bridge system 56 a and asecond bridge system 56 b. Each of thefirst bridge system 56 a and thesecond bridge system 56 b can cooperate with thelocking system 54 to couple one of thebone engaging members 16 to a respective one of the contouredbar 50 orplanar bar 52. It should be noted that although thecross connector system 10 is illustrated herein as including both afirst bridge system 56 a and asecond bridge system 56 b, thecross connector system 10 could include onlyfirst bridge systems 56 a orsecond bridge systems 56 b, if desired. - The
first bridge system 56 a can include afirst bridge 130. Thefirst bridge 130 can be composed out of any suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. Thefirst bridge 130 can include a first orupper side 132, a second orlower side 134 and abore 136. Theupper side 132 can be positioned adjacent to theexpansion ring 90 when thefirst bridge system 56 a is coupled to the locking system 54 (FIG. 4 ). Thelower side 134 can include afirst arm 138 opposite asecond arm 140. In one example, thefirst arm 138 and thesecond arm 140 can be coupled to thelower side 134 via living hinges 142 to enable thefirst arm 138 andsecond arm 140 to resiliently engage thebone engaging member 16, however, thefirst arm 138 andsecond arm 140 could be directly coupled to thelower side 134 if desired. If the living hinges 142 are employed, thefirst arm 138 can be spaced a distance apart from thesecond arm 140, which can be smaller than a width of thesaddle 22. This can enable thefirst bridge 130 to be snap-fit onto thesaddle 22. - With reference to
FIG. 4 , each of thefirst arm 138 and thesecond arm 140 can include at least onecoupling feature 144. The at least onecoupling feature 144 can extend outwardly from aninterior surface first arm 138 and thesecond arm 140 and can be configured to engage the at least onecoupling feature 42 formed on thearms saddle 22. Generally, thefirst bridge 130 can be snap fit onto thesaddle 22 such that the at least onecoupling feature 144 of thefirst arm 138 and thesecond arm 140 can snap into the detent defined by the at least onecoupling feature 42 of thearms coupling feature 144 could be formed on thearms coupling feature 42 could be defined on thefirst arm 138 and thesecond arm 140 of thefirst bridge 130. Once the at least onecoupling feature 144 is coupled to the at least onecoupling feature 42, the at least onecoupling feature 42 can cooperate with the at least onecoupling feature 144 to prevent the separation of thefirst bridge 130 from thesaddle 22 by preventing the upward movement of thefirst arm 138 andsecond arm 140. As will be discussed, by preventing this upward movement, the at least onecoupling feature 144 and the at least onecoupling feature 42 can cooperate to strengthen the connection between thefirst bridge 130 and thesaddle 22 by creating a tension loading condition through the tightening of thefirst fastener 92. - The
bore 136 can be formed through thefirst bridge 130 from theupper side 132 to thelower side 134. Thebore 136 can be configured to threadably engage the plurality ofthreads 112 a of theshank 112 of thefirst fastener 92, and thus, thebore 136 can include a plurality ofthreads 136 a. It should be noted that thebore 136 need not include the plurality ofthreads 136 a, but rather can be press-fit, snap fit, etc. to couple thefirst bridge 130 to thefirst fastener 92. In the example of thebore 136 having the plurality ofthreads 136 a, thefirst fastener 92 can be threaded into engagement with thefirst bridge 130 after thefirst bridge 130 is coupled to thesaddle 22 to create the tension loading condition, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. - With reference to
FIGS. 2-4 , thesecond bridge system 56 b can include asecond bridge 150 and ascrew clamp 152. Each of thesecond bridge 150 and thescrew clamp 152 can be composed out of any suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. Thesecond bridge 150 can include a first orupper side 154, a second orlower side 156 and abore 158. Theupper side 154 can be positioned adjacent to theexpansion ring 90 when thesecond bridge system 56 b is coupled to the locking system 54 (FIG. 4 ). Thelower side 156 can include afirst arm 160 opposite asecond arm 162. In one example, thefirst arm 160 andsecond arm 162 can be directly coupled to or integrally formed with thelower side 156, however, thefirst arm 160 and thesecond arm 162 could be coupled to thelower side 156 via living hinges, if desired. Generally, thefirst arm 160 can be spaced a distance apart from thesecond arm 162, which can be greater than a width of thesaddle 22. This can enable thesecond bridge 150 to be assembled over thescrew clamp 152, such that thescrew clamp 152 is substantially surrounded by thesecond bridge 150, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. - The
bore 158 can be formed through thesecond bridge 150 from theupper side 154 to thelower side 156. Thebore 158 can be configured to position thesecond bridge 150 about theshank 112 of thefirst fastener 92. Generally, thebore 158 can be unthreaded, but thebore 158 could include a plurality of threads to enable thesecond bridge 150 to threadably engage thefirst fastener 92, if desired. If thebore 158 is unthreaded, the size of thebore 158 can be such that thefirst fastener 92 can rotate relative to thesecond bridge 150 to enable thescrew clamp 152 to be coupled to thefirst fastener 92. - The
screw clamp 152 can cooperate with thesecond bridge 150 to couple thebone engaging member 16 to thelocking system 54. Thescrew clamp 152 can include a first orupper side 161, a second orlower side 163 and abore 165. Theupper side 161 can be positioned adjacent to thelower side 163 when thesecond bridge system 56 b is coupled to thelocking system 54. Thelower side 163 can include afirst arm 166 opposite asecond arm 168. In one example, thefirst arm 166 andsecond arm 168 can be directly coupled to or integrally formed with thelower side 163, however, thefirst arm 166 and thesecond arm 168 could be coupled to thelower side 163 via living hinges, if desired. Generally, thefirst arm 166 can be spaced a distance apart from thesecond arm 168, which can be greater than a width of thesaddle 22, but less than the distance defined by thesecond bridge 150. This can enable thescrew clamp 152 to fit about or over thearms saddle 22, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. - In addition, with reference to
FIG. 4 , each of thefirst arm 166 and thesecond arm 168 can include at least onecoupling feature 169. The at least onecoupling feature 169 can extend outwardly from aninterior surface first arm 166 and thesecond arm 168, respectively, and can be configured to engage the at least onecoupling feature 42 formed on thearms saddle 22. Generally, thescrew clamp 152 can be positioned over thesaddle 22 such that the at least onecoupling feature 169 of thefirst arm 166 and thesecond arm 168 can snap into the detent defined by the at least onecoupling feature 42 of thearms coupling feature 169 could be formed on thearms coupling feature 42 could be formed on thefirst arm 166 and thesecond arm 168. - In addition, it should be noted that the
screw clamp 152 can be sized to increase or decrease the amount of tactile feedback provided when the at least onecoupling feature 169 engages the at least onecoupling feature 42 of thearms screw clamp 152 can be sized smaller than thesaddle 22 of thebone engaging member 16 so that a tactile snap is observed when thescrew clamp 152 is coupled to thesaddle 22. Alternatively, thescrew clamp 152 can be sized larger than thesaddle 22, so that no tactile snap is observed when the at least onecoupling feature 169 engages the at least onecoupling feature 42 of thearms screw clamp 152 is merely exemplary. - Once the at least one
coupling feature 169 is coupled to the at least onecoupling feature 42, the at least onecoupling feature 42 can cooperate with the at least onecoupling feature 169 to prevent the separation of thesecond bridge system 56 b from thesaddle 22 by preventing the upward movement of thefirst arm 166 andsecond arm 168. As will be discussed, by preventing this upward movement, the at least onecoupling feature 169 and the at least onecoupling feature 42 can cooperate to strengthen the connection between thesecond bridge system 56 b and thesaddle 22 by creating a tension loading condition through the tightening of thefirst fastener 92. In other words, as thescrew clamp 152 moves upward, thesecond bridge 150 can squeeze thescrew clamp 152 inward about thesaddle 22 of thefirst fastener 92. - The
bore 165 can be formed through thescrew clamp 152 from theupper side 161 to thelower side 163, and can be formed to include an annular rim or lip that extends a distance above theupper side 161 and is sized to be received by thebore 158. Thebore 165 can be configured to threadably engage the plurality ofthreads 112 a of theshank 112 of thefirst fastener 92, and thus, thebore 165 can include a plurality ofthreads 165 a. It should be noted that thebore 165 need not include the plurality ofthreads 165 a, but rather can be press-fit, snap fit, etc. to couple thescrew clamp 152 to thefirst fastener 92. In the example of thebore 165 having a plurality ofthreads 165 a, thefirst fastener 92 can be threaded into engagement with thescrew clamp 152 and can cooperate with thesecond bridge 150 to create the tension loading condition. The tension loading condition acts to strengthen the connection between thesecond bridge system 56 b and thebone engaging member 16. - With reference to
FIGS. 5-8 , therod clamp system 58 can be coupled to the contoured bar 50 (FIG. 8 ) and/or the planar bar 52 (FIGS. 5 and 8 ) via thelocking system 54. Therod clamp system 58 can receive and be coupled to one of the connectingrods 18, and thus, therod clamp system 58 operates to couple the connectingrod 18 to the contouredbar 50 and/orplanar bar 52. Therod clamp system 58 can be formed of a suitable biocompatible material, such as a biocompatible metal, metal alloy or polymer. Therod clamp system 58 can include arod bell 170 and arod clamp 172. - The
rod bell 170 can cooperate with therod clamp 172 to couple the connectingrod 18 to therod clamp system 58. It should be noted that although therod clamp 172 is described and illustrated herein as including therod bell 170, therod clamp 172 could be employed without therod bell 170, if desired. With reference toFIG. 7 , therod bell 170 can be bowl or bell shaped, and can define acontact portion 174 at afirst end 170 a and abore 176 at asecond end 170 b. Acavity 178 can be formed from thefirst end 170 a to thesecond end 170 b, which can receive at least a portion of therod clamp 172, as will be discussed. Thecontact portion 174 can cooperate with therod clamp 172 to couple the connectingrod 18 to therod clamp system 58, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. Briefly, thecontact portion 174 can include a generally tapered region that can be configured to contact a portion of therod clamp 172, which can in turn cause therod clamp 172 to compress against the connectingrod 18. - Generally, the
bore 176 can be formed along a center line of therod bell 170, which can be substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis L of the rod clamp system 58 (FIG. 7 ). Thebore 176 can enable therod bell 170 to be positioned about theshank 112 of thefirst fastener 92. In one example, thebore 176 is unthreaded and sized to enable thefirst fastener 92 to rotate relative to thebore 176, however, thebore 176 could include a plurality of threads, if desired, to enable therod bell 170 to be threadably coupled to thefirst fastener 92. Thebore 176 may also receive at least a portion of therod clamp 172 when thefirst fastener 92 is coupled to therod clamp 172 as will be discussed herein. - The
cavity 178 can be defined between thecontact portion 174 and thebore 176. Thecavity 178 can have a diameter greater than a diameter of thebore 176 to enable at least a portion of therod clamp 172 to be received within therod bell 170. It should be noted, however, that the connectingrod 18 can have a diameter equal to or less than the diameter of thebore 176, if desired. - The
rod clamp 172 can be generally V-shaped, and can be substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis L of the rod clamp system 58 (FIG. 7 ). Therod clamp 172 can include afirst clamping arm 180 coupled to asecond clamping arm 182 via abase portion 184. Thefirst clamping arm 180 andsecond clamping arm 182 can be coupled to thebase portion 184 so as to define a generally V-shapedchannel 186 for receipt of the connectingrod 18. As therod clamp 172 can be substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis L, thefirst clamping arm 180 can be substantially a mirror image of thesecond clamping arm 182. In one example, therod clamp 172 can be configured so as to engage, slide or snap onto the connectingrod 18 prior to the tightening of therod clamp system 58, which can enable therod clamp system 58 to stay in place prior to fixedly coupling therod clamp system 58 to the connectingrod 18. It should be noted, however, that therod clamp system 58 need not be fixedly coupled to the connectingrod 18, if desired. By not fixedly coupling therod clamp system 58 to the connectingrod 18, therod clamp system 58 can move or translate along the connectingrod 18 to assist in preserving motion, for example. - Each of the
first clamping arm 180 and thesecond clamping arm 182 can include afirst end second end first end tapered edge 188 and aconcave clamp portion 190, which can each be formed along thechannel 186. Thetapered edge 188 can assist in guiding the connectingrod 18 into thechannel 186. Theconcave clamp portion 190 can be configured to bear against a surface of the connectingrod 18 to couple the connectingrod 18 to therod clamp system 58. Generally, therod clamp 172 can snap onto the connectingrod 18 so that therod clamp system 58 can stay in place prior to being tightened onto the connectingrod 18. - The
second end base portion 184. Thebase portion 184 can define a threadedbore 192, which can be formed from thebase portion 184 through thesecond end concave clamp portion 190. The threaded bore 192 can include a plurality ofthreads 192 a, which can cooperate or matingly engage the plurality ofthreads 112 a on theshank 112 of thefirst fastener 92. The engagement of thefirst fastener 92 with the threadedbore 192 can draw thefirst clamping arm 180 and thesecond clamping arm 182 rearward toward therod bell 170, which can compress therod clamp 172 to clamp the connectingrod 18 to therod clamp system 58, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. It should be noted, however, that therod clamp system 58 need not include all of the components described herein. For example, a rod clamp system could comprise a single component having a U-shape for receipt of the connectingrod 18 therethrough and threads for mating with thefirst fastener 92 to couple the single component to the connectingrod 18 and to thecross connector system 10. - In order to employ the
cross connector system 10, thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 can be coupled to the anatomy via any suitable technique (FIG. 1 ). Briefly, it should be noted that the insertion of thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 into the anatomy is beyond the scope of the present teachings and need not be described herein. In a conventional manner insofar as the present teachings are concerned, exemplary systems and methods for the insertion of thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 into the anatomy can include those employed in the Polaris™ 5.5 Spinal System, commercially available from Biomet, Inc. of Warsaw, Indiana, or the tools disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0077138, filed on Apr. 20, 2007 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/103,069, filed on May 8, 2011, each of which are incorporated by reference herein. In addition, thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 need not include all of the components illustrated inFIG. 1 , but rather, thebone engaging members 16 could comprise a saddle with threads that engages the anatomy, hooks, etc. - Once the
first fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 are coupled to the desired portion of the anatomy, thecross connector system 10 can be assembled to bridge the distance D between thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14 to provide additional strength to the construct created by thefirst fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 (FIG. 1 ). In order to bridge the distance D, various components of thecross connector system 10 can be coupled together as needed, in any desired configuration, according to the patient's anatomy. - In one example, initially, the contoured
bar 50 can be assembled to theplanar bar 52 using theexpansion ring 90,mating rail component 96 and second fastener 94 (FIGS. 2-4 ). Generally, the contouredbar 50 can be coupled to theplanar bar 52 such that thelocking system 54 is in the first state and the contouredbar 50 is movable relative to the planar bar 52 (FIG. 2 ). It should be noted that although the contouredbar 50 andplanar bar 52 are described and illustrated herein as being coupled together to span the distance D, twocontoured bars 50, twoplanar bars 52 and combinations thereof could be used to span the distance D. Further, multiple combinations of thefirst fastener 92 and thesecond fastener 94 can be used to span the distance D. - Once the combination of contoured bar(s) 50 and planar bar(s) 52 are selected and coupled together, the user can decide how to couple the contoured
bar 50 andplanar bar 52 to thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14. In this regard, depending upon the anatomy and position of thefirst fixation system 12 and thesecond fixation system 14, the user can determine whether to use thefirst bridge system 56 a (FIG. 3 ),second bridge system 56 b (FIG. 3 ) and/or the rod clamp system 58 (FIG. 5 ). In one example, afirst bridge system 56 a and asecond bridge system 56 b could be used to couple the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52 to thefirst fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 (FIG. 2 ). In another example, one of thefirst bridge system 56 a and thesecond bridge system 56 b can be employed along with arod clamp system 58 to bridge the distance D (FIG. 5 ). In another example, tworod clamp systems 58 can be used to couple the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52 to thefirst fixation system 12 and the second fixation system 14 (FIG. 8 ). - In the example of a
first bridge system 56 a and asecond bridge system 56 b, thefirst bridge system 56 a andsecond bridge system 56 b can be coupled to a respective one of the contouredbar 50 and the planar bar 52 (FIG. 2 ). In order to couple thefirst bridge system 56 a to the respective one of the contouredbar 50 and theplanar bar 52, thefirst bridge 130 can be coupled to thesaddle 22 such that the coupling feature(s) 144 engage the coupling feature(s) 42. Then, with theexpansion ring 90 coupled to thebore 84, thefirst fastener 92 can be inserted through theexpansion ring 90 so that thefirst fastener 92 can threadably engage thethreads 136 a of the bore 136 (FIG. 4 ). In one example, thefirst fastener 92 can be at least initially engaged with thebore 136 of thefirst bridge 130 to enable thefirst bridge system 56 a to be coupled to the contouredbar 50 while allowing the contouredbar 50 to move about theexpansion ring 90. Thus, thefirst bridge system 56 a can be coupled to the contouredbar 50 such that thelocking system 54 is in the first state. - In the example of
FIG. 2 , thesecond bridge system 56 b can be coupled to theplanar bar 52. First, thescrew clamp 152 can be coupled to thesaddle 22 such that the coupling features 169 of thescrew clamp 152 are engaged with thecoupling feature 42 of the saddle 22 (FIGS. 2-4 ). Then, thesecond bridge 150 can be positioned about thescrew clamp 152. With theexpansion ring 90 positioned in thebore 84 of theplanar bar 52, thefirst fastener 92 can be inserted through theexpansion ring 90 until thefirst fastener 92 is at least partially threadably engaged with the threads 152 a of thescrew clamp 152. Generally, thefirst fastener 92 can be at least partially engaged with the threads 152 a of thescrew clamp 152 such that thesecond bridge system 56 b is coupled to theplanar bar 52, but thelocking system 54 is in the first state. With thelocking system 54 in the first state, theplanar bar 52 can be movable relative to thesecond bridge system 56 b to enable the user to position theplanar bar 52 as desired within the patient's anatomy (FIG. 2 ). - Once the contoured
bar 50 and theplanar bar 52 are positioned as desired within the anatomy, the lockingsystem 54 can be moved from the first state to the second state. In this regard, thefirst fastener 92 can be rotated further into engagement with thefirst bridge system 56 a andsecond bridge system 56 b until the tapered portion T of thefirst fastener 92 abuts the taperedportion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 (FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The advancement of thefirst fastener 92 within thebore 136 of thefirst bridge system 56 a can cause the tension loading condition. In this regard, the advancement of thefirst fastener 92 within thebore 136 can cause thefirst fastener 92 to contact and push down on theplug 38 secured within thesaddle 22 of thebone engaging member 16. The downward application of force by thefirst fastener 92 on theplug 38 in combination with the upward application of force caused by the engagement of between the coupling feature(s) 144 and the coupling feature(s) 42 can cause this tension loading condition. - The contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause the
expansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to a second state, thereby frictionally locking the contouredbar 50 relative to thefirst fastener 92 and thefirst bridge system 56 a. Thus, the lockingsystem 54 in the second state can frictionally lock the contouredbar 50 relative to thefirst bridge system 56 a. - In addition, it should be noted that although the
locking system 54 is described herein as moving from a first state to a second state, the lockingsystem 54 could be positioned in a middle, third state if desired. In this regard, in the middle state, thefirst fastener 92 and/orsecond fastener 94 can be tightened, but not tightened enough to cause theexpansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to the second state. In this third state, the friction between thefirst fastener 92 and/orsecond fastener 94, theexpansion ring 90 and the contouredbar 50 and/orplanar bar 52 has increased, thereby forming a “friction fit” between the components. This “friction fit” can allow the surgeon to manipulate thecross connector system 10 to a desired position and have thecross connector system 10 remain in that position. Thus, the middle state can enable the surgeon to evaluate the positioning of thecross connector system 10 prior to moving thelocking system 54 to the second state. - In order to lock the contoured
bar 50 relative to theplanar bar 52, thesecond fastener 94 can be threaded further into engagement with themating rail component 96 until the tapered portion T of thesecond fastener 94 abuts the taperedportion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 (FIGS. 3 and 4 ). As discussed, the contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause theexpansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to a second state, thereby frictionally locking the contouredbar 50 relative toplanar bar 52. Thus, with thelocking system 54 in the second state, the contouredbar 50 can fixedly coupled to theplanar bar 52. - To lock the
planar bar 52 relative to thesecond bridge system 56 b, thefirst fastener 92 can be threadably advanced within thebore 165 of thescrew clamp 152. The advancement of thefirst fastener 92 relative to thescrew clamp 152 can cause the tension loading condition. In addition, the advancement of thefirst fastener 92 can cause contact between the tapered portion T of thefirst fastener 92 and the taperedportion 100 a of the expansion ring 90 (FIGS. 3 and 4 ). As discussed, the contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause theexpansion ring 90 to expand from the first state to a second state, thereby frictionally locking theplanar bar 52 relative to thesecond bridge system 56 b. Thus, the lockingsystem 54 in the second state can frictionally lock the contouredbar 50 relative to thesecond bridge system 56 b. - In the case of the
cross connector system 10 that includes one or morerod clamp systems 58, such as that illustrated inFIGS. 5-8 , therod clamp 172 can be positioned within therod bell 170, and thefirst fastener 92 can be inserted into the threaded bore 192 to initially couple therod clamp system 58 to the respective one of the contouredbar 50 and planar bar 52 (FIG. 6 ). Thus, therod clamp system 58 can be coupled to the contouredbar 50 orplanar bar 52 such that the contouredbar 50 orplanar bar 52 can be movable relative to the rod clamp system 58 (FIG. 8 ). Then, therod clamp 172 can be positioned on or about the connectingrod 18 such that theconcave clamp portions 190 are adjacent to a surface of the connectingrod 18. Once the contouredbar 50 and/orplanar bar 52 are positioned as desired relative to the anatomy, thefirst fastener 92 can be threadably advanced within the bore 194 and therod clamp 172 can be compressed until theconcave clamp portions 190 are coupled to the connecting rod 18 (FIG. 7 ). The further advancement of thefirst fastener 92 can also cause the tapered portion T of thefirst fastener 92 to contact the taperedportion 100 a of theexpansion ring 90. The contact between the tapered portions T, 100 a can cause theexpansion ring 90 to move from the first state to the second state, thereby causing thelocking system 54 to move from the first state to the second state. In this second state, the contouredbar 50 orplanar bar 52 can be fixedly coupled to therod clamp system 58. - Accordingly, the
cross connector system 10 can be available as a kit, which can be used to strengthen a construct formed by two spinal fixation systems. It should be noted, however, that thecross connector system 10 could be provided in various assemblies from which a surgeon could select for the particular patient specific application. The various components of thecross connector system 10 can be customized to fit the particular anatomy and construct created for the patient. In addition, by including thefirst bridge system 56 a,second bridge system 56 b androd clamp system 58 the surgeon can decide the best connection point for thecross connector system 10. Further, by enabling the contouredbar 50 andplanar bar 52 to move relative to each other and relative to the bridge system 56 androd clamp system 58, thecross connector system 10 can be positioned in various different locations within the anatomy to enable optimization of the location of thecross connector system 10. - While specific examples have been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes can be made and equivalents can be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various examples is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from the present teachings that features, elements and/or functions of one example can be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above. Moreover, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the present teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present teachings not be limited to the particular examples illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification, but that the scope of the present teachings will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/253,917 US9855079B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2014-04-16 | Cross connector system |
PCT/US2014/034340 WO2014172445A1 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2014-04-16 | Cross connector system |
US15/832,149 US10376289B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2017-12-05 | Cross connector system |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201361812870P | 2013-04-17 | 2013-04-17 | |
US14/253,917 US9855079B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2014-04-16 | Cross connector system |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/832,149 Continuation US10376289B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2017-12-05 | Cross connector system |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20140316468A1 true US20140316468A1 (en) | 2014-10-23 |
US9855079B2 US9855079B2 (en) | 2018-01-02 |
Family
ID=51729592
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/253,917 Active 2035-01-01 US9855079B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2014-04-16 | Cross connector system |
US15/832,149 Expired - Fee Related US10376289B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2017-12-05 | Cross connector system |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/832,149 Expired - Fee Related US10376289B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2017-12-05 | Cross connector system |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US9855079B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2986242B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2014172445A1 (en) |
Cited By (36)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20130030445A1 (en) * | 2011-07-29 | 2013-01-31 | Aesculap Inplant Systems, LLC | Surgical instrumentation for spinal surgery |
US20140277163A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Ryan Kretzer | Reinforcement systems for spine stabilization constructs |
US20150080952A1 (en) * | 2013-09-16 | 2015-03-19 | Neuraxis, Llc | Methods and devices for applying localized thermal therapy |
US20160030091A1 (en) * | 2012-11-06 | 2016-02-04 | Globus Medical, Inc. | Low profile connectors |
US20160151096A1 (en) * | 2012-10-17 | 2016-06-02 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal correction adjustment systems and methods |
US20160367291A1 (en) * | 2015-06-17 | 2016-12-22 | Nathan Erickson | Ankle fixation system |
US20160367292A1 (en) * | 2012-11-06 | 2016-12-22 | Globus Medical, Inc. | Low profile connectors |
US9603627B2 (en) | 2011-09-06 | 2017-03-28 | Aesculap Ag | Polyaxial pedicle screw having provisional fastening means |
US20170215925A1 (en) * | 2012-11-05 | 2017-08-03 | Phygen, Llc | Transverse vertebral connector |
US9763703B2 (en) | 2015-05-05 | 2017-09-19 | Degen Medical, Inc. | Cross connectors, kits, and methods |
WO2018071514A1 (en) * | 2016-10-11 | 2018-04-19 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal implant and methods of use thereof |
US10045824B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2018-08-14 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a rod to support a vertebral column of a patient |
US10179065B2 (en) | 2013-09-16 | 2019-01-15 | Neuraxis Llc | Implantable devices for thermal therapy and related methods |
US10238432B2 (en) | 2017-02-10 | 2019-03-26 | Medos International Sàrl | Tandem rod connectors and related methods |
US10258386B2 (en) * | 2017-06-15 | 2019-04-16 | Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc. | Spinal construct and method |
WO2019079825A1 (en) * | 2017-10-22 | 2019-04-25 | Astura Medical Inc. | Variable screw top cross connector |
US10292770B2 (en) | 2017-04-21 | 2019-05-21 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal treatments, operations, and procedures |
US10318655B2 (en) | 2013-09-18 | 2019-06-11 | Medicrea International | Method making it possible to produce the ideal curvature of a rod of vertebral osteosynthesis material designed to support a patient's vertebral column |
US10321939B2 (en) | 2016-05-18 | 2019-06-18 | Medos International Sarl | Implant connectors and related methods |
US10376289B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2019-08-13 | Zimmer Biomet Spine, Inc. | Cross connector system |
US10398476B2 (en) | 2016-12-13 | 2019-09-03 | Medos International Sàrl | Implant adapters and related methods |
US10433873B2 (en) | 2012-09-04 | 2019-10-08 | Zimmer, Inc. | External fixation |
US10456211B2 (en) | 2015-11-04 | 2019-10-29 | Medicrea International | Methods and apparatus for spinal reconstructive surgery and measuring spinal length and intervertebral spacing, tension and rotation |
US10492835B2 (en) | 2016-12-19 | 2019-12-03 | Medos International Sàrl | Offset rods, offset rod connectors, and related methods |
US10517647B2 (en) | 2016-05-18 | 2019-12-31 | Medos International Sarl | Implant connectors and related methods |
US10543019B2 (en) | 2014-08-11 | 2020-01-28 | Zimmer, Inc. | External fixation |
US10561454B2 (en) | 2017-03-28 | 2020-02-18 | Medos International Sarl | Articulating implant connectors and related methods |
US10905469B2 (en) | 2012-09-04 | 2021-02-02 | Zimmer, Inc. | External fixation |
US10918422B2 (en) | 2017-12-01 | 2021-02-16 | Medicrea International | Method and apparatus for inhibiting proximal junctional failure |
US10966761B2 (en) | 2017-03-28 | 2021-04-06 | Medos International Sarl | Articulating implant connectors and related methods |
US11076890B2 (en) | 2017-12-01 | 2021-08-03 | Medos International Sàrl | Rod-to-rod connectors having robust rod closure mechanisms and related methods |
US11246630B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2022-02-15 | K2M, Inc. | Flexible fastening system |
US11612436B2 (en) | 2016-12-12 | 2023-03-28 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific medical treatments, operations, and procedures |
US11769251B2 (en) | 2019-12-26 | 2023-09-26 | Medicrea International | Systems and methods for medical image analysis |
US11877801B2 (en) | 2019-04-02 | 2024-01-23 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal implants, treatments, operations, and/or procedures |
US11925417B2 (en) | 2019-04-02 | 2024-03-12 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal implants, treatments, operations, and/or procedures |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9247964B1 (en) | 2011-03-01 | 2016-02-02 | Nuasive, Inc. | Spinal Cross-connector |
US10413330B2 (en) * | 2016-08-09 | 2019-09-17 | Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc. | Spinal implant system and method |
USD951452S1 (en) * | 2020-09-03 | 2022-05-10 | Solco Biomedical Co., Ltd. | Rod connector for cervical vertebrae |
USD951450S1 (en) * | 2020-09-03 | 2022-05-10 | Solco Biomedical Co., Ltd. | Side screw for cervical vertebrae |
USD951451S1 (en) * | 2020-09-03 | 2022-05-10 | Solco Biomedical Co., Ltd. | Cross link for cervical vertebrae |
Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5501684A (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1996-03-26 | Synthes (U.S.A.) | Osteosynthetic fixation device |
US20030028192A1 (en) * | 2000-01-13 | 2003-02-06 | Manuel Schar | Device for releasably clamping a longitudinal member within a surgical implant |
US20060217718A1 (en) * | 2005-03-28 | 2006-09-28 | Facet Solutions, Inc. | Facet joint implant crosslinking apparatus and method |
US20080221622A1 (en) * | 2007-01-10 | 2008-09-11 | Facet Solutions, Inc. | Facet Joint Replacement |
US7645294B2 (en) * | 2004-03-31 | 2010-01-12 | Depuy Spine, Inc. | Head-to-head connector spinal fixation system |
US20100204733A1 (en) * | 2007-09-25 | 2010-08-12 | Rathbun David S | Transconnector |
US8197515B2 (en) * | 2008-02-18 | 2012-06-12 | Expanding Orthopedics Inc. | Cross-connector assembly |
US8672978B2 (en) * | 2011-03-04 | 2014-03-18 | Zimmer Spine, Inc. | Transverse connector |
US8870923B2 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2014-10-28 | Marc E. Richelsoph | Rod to rod connector with load sharing |
US8920475B1 (en) * | 2011-01-07 | 2014-12-30 | Lanx, Inc. | Vertebral fixation system including torque mitigation |
US9198696B1 (en) * | 2010-05-27 | 2015-12-01 | Nuvasive, Inc. | Cross-connector and related methods |
US9220541B1 (en) * | 2014-06-26 | 2015-12-29 | Zimmer Spine, Inc. | Transverse connector |
US9247964B1 (en) * | 2011-03-01 | 2016-02-02 | Nuasive, Inc. | Spinal Cross-connector |
Family Cites Families (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070225712A1 (en) * | 2004-10-20 | 2007-09-27 | Moti Altarac | Systems and methods for posterior dynamic stabilization of the spine |
JP5187594B2 (en) * | 2006-09-26 | 2013-04-24 | ジンテス ゲゼルシャフト ミット ベシュレンクテル ハフツング | Transformer connector |
US8070776B2 (en) * | 2007-06-05 | 2011-12-06 | Spartek Medical, Inc. | Deflection rod system for use with a vertebral fusion implant for dynamic stabilization and motion preservation spinal implantation system and method |
US8080037B2 (en) * | 2008-01-04 | 2011-12-20 | Life Spine, Inc. | Spinal cross-connector with spinal extensor muscle curvature |
US20090264931A1 (en) | 2008-04-18 | 2009-10-22 | Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc. | Implantable Article for Use with an Anchor and a Non-Metal Rod |
US8460342B2 (en) * | 2008-12-03 | 2013-06-11 | Eminent Spine Llc | Spinal cross-connector and method for use of same |
US8246665B2 (en) * | 2008-12-22 | 2012-08-21 | Life Spine, Inc. | Posterior cervical cross connector assemblies |
EP2467076B1 (en) * | 2009-08-21 | 2018-09-19 | K2M, Inc. | Transverse rod connector |
US8449578B2 (en) | 2009-11-09 | 2013-05-28 | Ebi, Llc | Multiplanar bone anchor system |
US20120130436A1 (en) * | 2010-11-23 | 2012-05-24 | Aesculap Implant Systems, Llc | Head to head connector for bone fixation assemblies |
WO2014172445A1 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2014-10-23 | Ebi, Llc | Cross connector system |
-
2014
- 2014-04-16 WO PCT/US2014/034340 patent/WO2014172445A1/en active Application Filing
- 2014-04-16 US US14/253,917 patent/US9855079B2/en active Active
- 2014-04-16 EP EP14786045.6A patent/EP2986242B1/en active Active
-
2017
- 2017-12-05 US US15/832,149 patent/US10376289B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5501684A (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1996-03-26 | Synthes (U.S.A.) | Osteosynthetic fixation device |
US20030028192A1 (en) * | 2000-01-13 | 2003-02-06 | Manuel Schar | Device for releasably clamping a longitudinal member within a surgical implant |
US7645294B2 (en) * | 2004-03-31 | 2010-01-12 | Depuy Spine, Inc. | Head-to-head connector spinal fixation system |
US20060217718A1 (en) * | 2005-03-28 | 2006-09-28 | Facet Solutions, Inc. | Facet joint implant crosslinking apparatus and method |
US20080221622A1 (en) * | 2007-01-10 | 2008-09-11 | Facet Solutions, Inc. | Facet Joint Replacement |
US20100204733A1 (en) * | 2007-09-25 | 2010-08-12 | Rathbun David S | Transconnector |
US8197515B2 (en) * | 2008-02-18 | 2012-06-12 | Expanding Orthopedics Inc. | Cross-connector assembly |
US8870923B2 (en) * | 2009-11-06 | 2014-10-28 | Marc E. Richelsoph | Rod to rod connector with load sharing |
US9198696B1 (en) * | 2010-05-27 | 2015-12-01 | Nuvasive, Inc. | Cross-connector and related methods |
US8920475B1 (en) * | 2011-01-07 | 2014-12-30 | Lanx, Inc. | Vertebral fixation system including torque mitigation |
US9247964B1 (en) * | 2011-03-01 | 2016-02-02 | Nuasive, Inc. | Spinal Cross-connector |
US8672978B2 (en) * | 2011-03-04 | 2014-03-18 | Zimmer Spine, Inc. | Transverse connector |
US9220541B1 (en) * | 2014-06-26 | 2015-12-29 | Zimmer Spine, Inc. | Transverse connector |
Cited By (67)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9901378B2 (en) * | 2011-07-29 | 2018-02-27 | Aesculap Ag | Surgical instrumentation for spinal surgery |
US20130030445A1 (en) * | 2011-07-29 | 2013-01-31 | Aesculap Inplant Systems, LLC | Surgical instrumentation for spinal surgery |
US10555759B2 (en) | 2011-09-06 | 2020-02-11 | Aesculap Ag | Polyaxial pedicle screw having provisional fastening means |
US9603627B2 (en) | 2011-09-06 | 2017-03-28 | Aesculap Ag | Polyaxial pedicle screw having provisional fastening means |
US10905469B2 (en) | 2012-09-04 | 2021-02-02 | Zimmer, Inc. | External fixation |
US10433873B2 (en) | 2012-09-04 | 2019-10-08 | Zimmer, Inc. | External fixation |
US9572601B2 (en) * | 2012-10-17 | 2017-02-21 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal correction adjustment systems and methods |
US20160151096A1 (en) * | 2012-10-17 | 2016-06-02 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal correction adjustment systems and methods |
US20170215925A1 (en) * | 2012-11-05 | 2017-08-03 | Phygen, Llc | Transverse vertebral connector |
US10335206B2 (en) * | 2012-11-06 | 2019-07-02 | Globus Medical, Inc. | Low profile connectors |
US20160030091A1 (en) * | 2012-11-06 | 2016-02-04 | Globus Medical, Inc. | Low profile connectors |
US10485587B2 (en) * | 2012-11-06 | 2019-11-26 | Globus Medical, Inc | Low profile connectors |
US20160367292A1 (en) * | 2012-11-06 | 2016-12-22 | Globus Medical, Inc. | Low profile connectors |
US11246630B2 (en) | 2013-03-11 | 2022-02-15 | K2M, Inc. | Flexible fastening system |
US20140277163A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Ryan Kretzer | Reinforcement systems for spine stabilization constructs |
US10376289B2 (en) | 2013-04-17 | 2019-08-13 | Zimmer Biomet Spine, Inc. | Cross connector system |
US10179065B2 (en) | 2013-09-16 | 2019-01-15 | Neuraxis Llc | Implantable devices for thermal therapy and related methods |
US10772760B2 (en) | 2013-09-16 | 2020-09-15 | Neuraxis, Llc | Implantable devices for thermal therapy and related methods |
US20150080952A1 (en) * | 2013-09-16 | 2015-03-19 | Neuraxis, Llc | Methods and devices for applying localized thermal therapy |
US11123222B2 (en) | 2013-09-16 | 2021-09-21 | Neuraxis, Llc | Methods and devices for applying localized thermal therapy |
US9308123B2 (en) * | 2013-09-16 | 2016-04-12 | Neuraxis, Llc | Methods and devices for applying localized thermal therapy |
US10970426B2 (en) | 2013-09-18 | 2021-04-06 | Medicrea International SA | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10318655B2 (en) | 2013-09-18 | 2019-06-11 | Medicrea International | Method making it possible to produce the ideal curvature of a rod of vertebral osteosynthesis material designed to support a patient's vertebral column |
US11197719B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2021-12-14 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10433912B1 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-10-08 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US11918295B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2024-03-05 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10413365B1 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-09-17 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10420615B1 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-09-24 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10426553B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-10-01 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US11197718B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2021-12-14 | Medicrea Iniernational | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10314657B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-06-11 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10433913B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-10-08 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10441363B1 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2019-10-15 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10973582B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2021-04-13 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a spinal rod |
US10045824B2 (en) | 2013-10-18 | 2018-08-14 | Medicrea International | Methods, systems, and devices for designing and manufacturing a rod to support a vertebral column of a patient |
US10543019B2 (en) | 2014-08-11 | 2020-01-28 | Zimmer, Inc. | External fixation |
US9763703B2 (en) | 2015-05-05 | 2017-09-19 | Degen Medical, Inc. | Cross connectors, kits, and methods |
US11134988B2 (en) | 2015-06-17 | 2021-10-05 | Zimmer, Inc. | Ankle fixation system |
US20160367291A1 (en) * | 2015-06-17 | 2016-12-22 | Nathan Erickson | Ankle fixation system |
US10456211B2 (en) | 2015-11-04 | 2019-10-29 | Medicrea International | Methods and apparatus for spinal reconstructive surgery and measuring spinal length and intervertebral spacing, tension and rotation |
US11058463B2 (en) | 2016-05-18 | 2021-07-13 | Medos International Sarl | Implant connectors and related methods |
US10517647B2 (en) | 2016-05-18 | 2019-12-31 | Medos International Sarl | Implant connectors and related methods |
US10321939B2 (en) | 2016-05-18 | 2019-06-18 | Medos International Sarl | Implant connectors and related methods |
US11596451B2 (en) | 2016-05-18 | 2023-03-07 | Medos International Sarl | Implant connectors and related methods |
US11033301B2 (en) | 2016-10-11 | 2021-06-15 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal implant and methods of use thereof |
WO2018071514A1 (en) * | 2016-10-11 | 2018-04-19 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal implant and methods of use thereof |
AU2017343635B2 (en) * | 2016-10-11 | 2023-04-06 | K2M, Inc. | Spinal implant and methods of use thereof |
US11612436B2 (en) | 2016-12-12 | 2023-03-28 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific medical treatments, operations, and procedures |
US10398476B2 (en) | 2016-12-13 | 2019-09-03 | Medos International Sàrl | Implant adapters and related methods |
US10492835B2 (en) | 2016-12-19 | 2019-12-03 | Medos International Sàrl | Offset rods, offset rod connectors, and related methods |
US11160583B2 (en) | 2016-12-19 | 2021-11-02 | Medos International Sarl | Offset rods, offset rod connectors, and related methods |
US10238432B2 (en) | 2017-02-10 | 2019-03-26 | Medos International Sàrl | Tandem rod connectors and related methods |
US11793554B2 (en) | 2017-02-10 | 2023-10-24 | Medos International Sarl | Tandem rod connectors and related methods |
US10869695B2 (en) | 2017-02-10 | 2020-12-22 | Medos International Sarl | Tandem rod connectors and related methods |
US11707304B2 (en) | 2017-03-28 | 2023-07-25 | Medos International Sarl | Articulating implant connectors and related methods |
US10966761B2 (en) | 2017-03-28 | 2021-04-06 | Medos International Sarl | Articulating implant connectors and related methods |
US10561454B2 (en) | 2017-03-28 | 2020-02-18 | Medos International Sarl | Articulating implant connectors and related methods |
US11382676B2 (en) | 2017-03-28 | 2022-07-12 | Medos International Sarl | Articulating implant connectors and related methods |
US10292770B2 (en) | 2017-04-21 | 2019-05-21 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal treatments, operations, and procedures |
US11185369B2 (en) | 2017-04-21 | 2021-11-30 | Medicrea Nternational | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal treatments, operations, and procedures |
US10258386B2 (en) * | 2017-06-15 | 2019-04-16 | Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc. | Spinal construct and method |
WO2019079825A1 (en) * | 2017-10-22 | 2019-04-25 | Astura Medical Inc. | Variable screw top cross connector |
US11076890B2 (en) | 2017-12-01 | 2021-08-03 | Medos International Sàrl | Rod-to-rod connectors having robust rod closure mechanisms and related methods |
US10918422B2 (en) | 2017-12-01 | 2021-02-16 | Medicrea International | Method and apparatus for inhibiting proximal junctional failure |
US11877801B2 (en) | 2019-04-02 | 2024-01-23 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal implants, treatments, operations, and/or procedures |
US11925417B2 (en) | 2019-04-02 | 2024-03-12 | Medicrea International | Systems, methods, and devices for developing patient-specific spinal implants, treatments, operations, and/or procedures |
US11769251B2 (en) | 2019-12-26 | 2023-09-26 | Medicrea International | Systems and methods for medical image analysis |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2986242A4 (en) | 2017-01-11 |
US20180092668A1 (en) | 2018-04-05 |
US9855079B2 (en) | 2018-01-02 |
US10376289B2 (en) | 2019-08-13 |
EP2986242B1 (en) | 2021-05-19 |
EP2986242A1 (en) | 2016-02-24 |
WO2014172445A1 (en) | 2014-10-23 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US10376289B2 (en) | Cross connector system | |
US11806051B2 (en) | Multiplanar bone anchor system | |
US9820781B2 (en) | Uniplanar bone anchor system | |
US10245076B2 (en) | Method of installing a spinal implant assembly | |
US8986356B2 (en) | Uniplanar bone anchor system | |
EP2114273B1 (en) | Taper-locking fixation system | |
AU2002301000B2 (en) | Biased angulation bone fixation assembly | |
CA2918377C (en) | Spring clip bottom loading polyaxial ball and socket fastener | |
US7678136B2 (en) | Spinal fixation assembly | |
US9060814B2 (en) | Spring clip bottom loading polyaxial ball and socket fastener | |
KR100384496B1 (en) | Variable length cross coupling device and cross coupling double rod orthopedic implant device | |
US8449578B2 (en) | Multiplanar bone anchor system | |
US7731736B2 (en) | Fastening system for spinal stabilization system | |
US20060052783A1 (en) | Polyaxial device for spine stabilization during osteosynthesis | |
US20060052786A1 (en) | Polyaxial device for spine stabilization during osteosynthesis | |
US20060052784A1 (en) | Polyaxial device for spine stabilization during osteosynthesis | |
US20110087293A1 (en) | Deformable Device For Minimally Invasive Fixation | |
CA2796319A1 (en) | Spinal implants and spinal fixings | |
CA2502861A1 (en) | Multi-axial, orthopaedic rod cross-link connector system for correcting spinal defects | |
US20140343613A1 (en) | Bone anchoring member with clamp mechanism |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: EBI, LLC, NEW JERSEY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KEISER, MATTHEW L;SANDERS, LAURIE G;HARRINGTON, SCOTT;SIGNING DATES FROM 20160325 TO 20160923;REEL/FRAME:039858/0954 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: ZIMMER BIOMET SPINE, INC., COLORADO Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:EBI, LLC;REEL/FRAME:044712/0790 Effective date: 20170621 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
CC | Certificate of correction | ||
MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 4TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BIOMET 3I, LLC;EBI, LLC;ZIMMER BIOMET SPINE, INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:059293/0213 Effective date: 20220228 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE AGENCY, LLC, NEW YORK Free format text: GRANT OF A SECURITY INTEREST -- PATENTS;ASSIGNORS:ZIMMER BIOMET SPINE, LLC;EBI, LLC;REEL/FRAME:066970/0806 Effective date: 20240401 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: ZIMMER BIOMET SPINE, LLC (F/K/A ZIMMER BIOMET SPINE, INC.), COLORADO Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.;REEL/FRAME:066973/0833 Effective date: 20240401 Owner name: EBI, LLC, NEW JERSEY Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.;REEL/FRAME:066973/0833 Effective date: 20240401 |